The Unusual Absorption Line Spectrum of Quasar SDSS J2220+0109

We report the Balmer broad absorption lines (BALs) in the quasar SDSS J2220 + 0109 discovered from the SDSS data, and present a detailed analysis of the peculiar absorption line spectrum, including the He I* multiplet at λλ3189, 3889 arising from the metastable 23s-state helium and the Balmer Hα and Hβ lines from the excited hydrogen H I of n = 2 level, which are rarely seen in quasar spectra, as well as many absorption lines arising from the excited Fe II* of the levels 7 955 cm−1, 13 474 cm−1 and 13 673 cm−1 in the wavelength range 3100∼3300 Å. Ca II H, K absorption line doublets also clearly appear in the SDSS spectrum. All absorption lines show a similar blueshifted velocity structure of Δv ≈ − 1500 ∼ 0 km·s−1 relative to the quasar's systematic redshift determined from the emission lines. Detailed analysis suggests that the Balmer absorption lines should arise from the partially ionized region with a column density of NHI ≈ 1021 cm−2 for an electron density of ne ∼ 106 cm−3; and that the hydrogen n = 2 level may be populated via collisional excitation with Lyα pumping.In addition to its peculiar absorption features, SDSS J2220 + 0109 also shows unusual Fe II emission lines very likely originated from the low-density gas of ne ≈ 106 cm−3.