2006 X-Ray / Ultraviolet Observing Campaign of the Markarian 279 Active Galactic Nucleus Outflow : a close look at the absorbing / emitting gas with

We present low-resolution ultraviolet spectra of 14 low redshift (zem . 0.8) quasars observed with HST/STIS as part of a Snap project to understand the relationship between quasar outflows and luminosity. By design, all observations cover the C IV emission line. Nine of the quasars are from the Hamburg-ESO catalog, three are from the Palomar-Green catalog, and one is from the Parkes catalog. The sample contains a few interesting quasars including two broad absorption line (BAL) quasars (HE 01433535, HE0436-2614), one quasar with a mini-BAL (HE 1105-0746), and one quasar with associated narrow absorption (HE 0409-5004). These BAL quasars are among the brightest known (though not the most luminous) since they lie at zem < 0.8. We compare the properties of these BAL quasars to the zem < 0.5 Palomar-Green and zem > 1.4 Large Bright Quasar samples. By design, our objects sample luminosities in between these two surveys, and our four absorbed objects are consistent with the v ∼ L0.62 relation derived by Laor & Brandt (2002). Another quasar, HE0441-2826, contains extremely weak emission lines and our spectrum is consistent with a simple powerlaw continuum. The quasar is radio-loud, but has a steep spectral index and a lobedominated morphology, which argues against it being a blazar. The unusual spectrum of this quasar resembles the spectra of the quasars PG1407+265, SDSSJ1136+0242, and PKS1004+13 for which several possible explanations have been entertained. Subject headings: quasars: absorption lines — quasars: emission lines — surveys Norman, OK 73019 Department of Astronomy, Ohio State University, 140 West 18th Avenue, Columbus, OH 43210 Spitzer Science Center, California Institute of Technology, 1200 East California Boulevard, Pasadena, CA 91125 Department of Physics, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, NV 89154 Faculty of Natural and Applied Sciences, Notre Dame University, Zouk Mosbeh, Lebanon Department of Physics, Baker University, P.O. Box 65, Baldwin City, Kansas 66006-0065 Apache Point Observatory, 2001 Apache Point Road, P.O. Box 59, Sunspot, NM 88349-0059 Orbital Sciences Steward Observatory, The University of Arizona, 933 Cherry Ave., Tucson, AZ 85721 Based on observations made with the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, which is operated by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, Inc., under NASA contract NAS 5-26555.