Galaxies with Background QSOs: II. An Automated Search for Multiple
  Galaxy Emission Lines
  We have improved upon our previous search technique of systematically
searching QSO spectra for narrow galactic H-alpha emission, which indicates a
foreground galaxy within the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) spectral fiber. We
now search for H-alpha plus eight other galactic emission lines in the same
manner. We have scanned the SDSS DR7 QSO catalog spectra searching for these
emission lines. Here we present our sample which focuses on the redshift range
z<0.401 where galactic H-alpha is detectable in the SDSS spectra. This has
revealed 27 unique galaxies on top of QSOs (GOTOQs). We have deblended the QSOs
from the respective galaxies and determined the photometric properties of these
systems. We find upon deblending that most of the galaxies are primarily blue,
late-type galaxies with colors in the range -0.71<(u-r)<2.07. We find a slight
anti-correlation between reddening and impact parameter (E(B-V)_(g-i) vs. b).
The galaxies have average star formation rates of 0.01 to 1 M_sun yr^-1, with
an average of 0.6 M_sun} yr^-1. They range in z from 0 to 0.4 and in stellar
luminosity from about 0.01 L* to 3.0 L*. They are foreground to QSOs of
brightness 17.4 to 20.4 magnitudes (r-band) with impact parameters of 1 to 10
kpc. They represent a fair sample of typical galaxies for which it should be
possible to determine accurately various quantities (e.g. abundances, dust
extinction, Faraday rotation) using follow-up analysis of the background QSOs.
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