One sightline, many systems: a flash discovery of H I towards scintillating quasar PKS 0405-385

Abstract

We report the discovery of an intervening 21 cm absorption line at z = 0.882 towards the z = 1.284 quasar PKS 0405-385, identified in the First Large Absorption Survey in H I (FLASH). This quasar once displayed the most rapid known intraday variability at radio frequencies, from which it earned the title of ‘the smallest radio quasar’. Although its size was revised upwards soon after based on updated scattering theory, PKS 0405-385 remains an important probe of Galactic plasma, and now also of intervening gas discovered through H I absorption. We present new long-slit spectroscopy spanning both PKS 0405-385 and the candidate host of the intervening H I gas. We identify Mg II and Fe II absorption lines in this spectrum consistent with the redshift of the intervening H I, as well as two additional, independent metal-line systems at z = 0.907 and z = 0.966, but we cannot accurately pinpoint the host(s) of this intervening gas in current data. We revisit the radio variability of PKS 0405-385 in light of advances in scintillation theory, as well as extended monitoring with the Australia Telescope Compact Array and the Australian SKA Pathfinder, and find a revised linear size ≥ 0.3 pc, but no new evidence of repeating intraday variability.