Abstract We have obtained deep J and Ks-band images centered on a bright radio quiet QSO UM 402 (zem = 2.856) using the IRCS camera and adaptive optics systems that are part of the Subaru Telescope, as well as retrieved WFC3/F140W archive images of this object. A faint galaxy (mk = 23.32±0.05 in the Vega magnitude system) that lies ~ 2.4˝ north of the QSO sightline has been clearly resolved in all three deep high resolution datasets, and appears as an irregular galaxy with two close components in the Ks-band images (separation ~ 0.3˝). Given the small impact parameter (b = 19.6 kpc, at zlls = 2.531), as well as the red color of (J − Ks)Vega ~ 1.6, it might be a candidate galaxy giving rise to the Lyman Limit system absorption at zabs = 2.531 seen in the QSO spectrum. After carefully subtracting the point spread function from the QSO images, the host galaxy of this bright radio quiet QSO at z ~ 3 was marginally revealed. We placed a lower limit on the host component of mk ~ 23.3 according to our analyses.
Keywords galaxies: active — galaxies: high redshift — quasars: general — instru- mentation: adaptive optics
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