Infrared and optical observations of the hydrogen lines in quasars

Infrared and optical spectrophotometric observations of the hydrogen lines in a sample of 16 quasars are discussed. The addition of these observations to previously published observations of hydrogen lines in quasars brings to 12 the number of quasars for which the P-alpha/H-alpha/H-beta line ratios have been measured and to nine the number of quasars for which the L-alpha/H-alpha line ratio has been measured. It is noted that the P-alpha/H-alpha ratios in low-redshift quasars are distributed around the case B value with a tendency toward values lower than that predicted by case B. The H-alpha/H-beta values in these same quasars are for the most part greater than the case B value. The tendency in the P-alpha/H-alpha/H-beta ratios is for the P-alpha/H-alpha ratio to decrease as the H-alpha/H-beta ratio increases. The decrease of the P-alpha/H-alpha ratio with increasing H-alpha/H-beta ratio is the most significant correlation obtained from the present data that any valid model of the line-emitting regions must explain. The low values of the L-alpha/H-alpha in comparison with the case B value are confirmed for a large sample of high-redshift quasars. L-alpha is seemingly destroyed rather than H-alpha being enhanced. It is concluded that reddening external to the emission-line regions cannot satisfactorily explain all the observed hydrogen line ratios.