The UV Properties of Post-Starburst Quasars

Abstract

Observations have revealed a class of objects that simultaneously exhibit evidence for a quasar and a massive, luminous, moderately-aged starburst (~10^10 M and ~100 Myr). These post-starburst quasars (PSQs) may be an important link in the evolutionary history of galaxies, providing insight into the transformation from young, blue, early-type star-forming galaxies to older, red, late-type quiescent galaxies. Although studies of composite objects like PSQs have become more common, surveys with the Galaxy Evolution Explorer (GALEX) provide a unique opportunity to study a statistically significant population at wavelengths underutilized in the literature. For our sample, we have spectroscopically-selected 609 PSQs from SDSS DR3 based on the strength of the Balmer jump and the H absorption line. Here, we report on the methods used to conduct FUV and NUV photometric measurements for the 529 objects observed by GALEX and present the rst results, including GALEX-SDSS colors. We also discuss the status of ongoing work using GALEX photometry to explore the overall UV properties of post-starburst quasars and consider the use of UV excesses to probe the existence of young stars (as young as several Myr old) formed after the starburst.