HST Planetary Camera images of quasar host galaxies

Abstract

We present Hubble Space Telescope (HST) images of seven low-redshift quasars (six taken with the Planetary Camera, one with the Wide Field Camera). These complete the sample of 14 quasars observed by the Faint Object Camera Investigation Definition Team (FOC IDT). Following subtraction of the quasar nuclear light, host galaxies can be seen in all seven cases. A combination of the optical morphology and luminosity profiles of the residual host galaxies and the results of 2D cross-correlation model fitting implies that five of the objects have elliptical host galaxies and two have disc host galaxies. The luminosities vary from slightly fainter than L* to about 1.3 mag brighter than L*.