Hubble Space Telescope Ultraviolet Spectroscopy of 14 Low-Redshift Quasars

We present low-resolution ultraviolet spectra of 14 low-redshift (z(em) less than or similar to 0.8) quasars observed with the Hubble Space Telescope STIS as part of a Snapshot project to understand the relationship between quasar outflows and luminosity. By design, all observations cover the C (IV) emission line. Ten 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 0143 - 3535 and HE 0436 - 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 (although not the most luminous) since they lie at z(em) < 0.8. We compare the properties of these BAL quasars to the z(em) < 0.5 Palomar-Green and z(em) > 1.4 Large Bright Quasar Survey samples. By design, our objects sample luminosities in between these two surveys, and our four absorbed objects are consistent with the v similar to L-0.62 relation derived by Laor & Brandt (2002). Another quasar, HE 0441 - 2826, contains extremely weak emission lines, and our spectrum is consistent with a simple power-law continuum. The quasar is radio-loud but has a steep spectral index and a lobe-dominated morphology, which argues against it being ablazar. The unusual spectrum of this quasar resembles the spectra of the quasars PG 1407 + 265, SDSS J1136 + 0242, and PKS 1004 + 13, for which several possible explanations have been entertained.