Optical and Infrared Investigation toward the z = 3.8 Quasar Pair PC 1643+4631A, B

摘要

In a companion Letter, Jones et al. report the discovery of a cosmic microwave background decrement, indicative of a distant cluster with mass 10~15 M toward the quasar pair PC 1643+4631A, B (z = 3.79, 3.83, separation 198"). To search for the cluster responsible, we have obtained R-, J-, and K-band images of the field and have also carried out optical spectroscopy of selected objects in it. No such cluster is evident in these images. Assuming that the cluster causing the decrement is similar to massive clusters already known, our magnitude limits imply that it must lie at about or beyond z = 1. This provides independent support for the X-raybased distance argument of Jones et al.