The environment of low redshift quasar pairs

We investigate the properties of the galaxy environment of a sample of 14 low redshift (z $<$ 0.85) quasar physical pairs extracted from SDSS DR10 archives. The pairs have a systemic radial velocity difference $ΔV_\parallel \leqslant$ 600 $km \ s^{-1}$ (based on [OIII]5007 Å\ line) and projected distance $R_\bot \leqslant$ 600 kpc. The physical association of the pairs is statistically confirmed at a level of $\sim$ 90 %. For most of the images of these quasars we are able to resolve their host galaxies that turn out to be on average similar to those of quasars not in pairs. We also found that quasars in a pair are on average in region of modest galaxy overdensity extending up 0.5 Mpc from the QSO. This galaxy overdensity is indistinguishable from that of a homogeneous sample of isolated quasars at the same redshift and with similar host galaxy luminosity. These results, albeit derived from a small (but homogeneous) sample of objects, suggest that the rare activation of two quasars with small physical separation does not require any extraordinary environment.

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