Laser Action in Quasi-Stellar Objects?

Varshni,Y.P.: 1973, Bull.Am.Phys.Soc., 18, 1384.

Analysis of the strong emission line data of 247 QSOs shows that these are consistent with the following hypotheses:(1) There is no redshift, (2) the composition of the emission region is the same as that of the Wolf-Rayet stars, and (3) there is laser action. Search is made for such wavelengths which satisfy the following criteria: (a) it occurs as a strong line in a QSO, (b) it occurs in Wolf-Rayet stars and the transition has been identified, and (c) laser action for this transition has been observed in the laboratory. This leads to the following identifications. 3748 Å, occurring in BSO 11 and RS 32, and 4349 Å, occurring in 3C 432 and PKS 1136-13, are both due to O II. 4515 Å observed in 3C 261, is due to N III, and 4652 Å, observed in PHL 1377, is probably due to C III.

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