The large, bright QSO survey. III - QSOs in six equatorial fields

Abstract

This is the fourth paper in a series aimed at selecting about 1000 QSOs brighter than B(J) about 18.7 using machine-scanned direct and objective-prism plates from the UK Schmidt Telescope. The plate material is scanned at the Automated Plate Measuring facility. The candidate list is derived using a number of complementary selection algorithms ranging from 'traditional' criteria, such as the presence of strong emission features, to criteria designed to select objects whose objective-prism spectra cannot be classified as normal stars, although they may possess no obvious QSO-like features. Follow-up spectroscopy at the Multiple Mirror Telescope is used to classify each candidate. This paper presents results from the two final UK Schmidt Telescope equatorial fields in which 125 QSOs have been found as well as the detection of an additional 11 QSOs in the 0000+0000 field presented in the second paper in this series. Coordinates, magnitudes, redshifts and spectra of moderate resolution, and signal-to-noise ratio for all 136 QSOs are presented as well as for eight additional extragalactic objects which fail to meet the absolute magnitude criterion as QSOs. 9 refs.