HS 1603 + 3820 : a bright z em = 2 . 51 quasar with a very rich heavy element absorption spectrum

During the course of Hamburg/CfA Bright Quasar Survey we discovered a bright (B = 15.9), high redshift (z em = 2.51) quasar HS 1603+3820. The quasar has a rich complex of Civ absorbers, containing at least five systems, all within 3000 km s −1 from one another. Despite large ejection velocity (v ej > 5000 km s −1 for all components) the complex is likely to be associated with the quasar. There are at least three more associated heavy element absorbers, two of which have z abs > z em. Together, they make one of the richest known complexes of associated heavy element absorbers, and the richest in objects with B < 16. The combination of redshift, brightness, richness of the metal absorption spectrum and richness of the associated absorption is unmatched among known quasars.