1999A&A...343..407C

The quasar 3C 48, an unusual CSS radio source with excess far-IR emission, is known to present morphological evidence for a recent merger. We present here new data on the two-dimensional kinematics and emission line properties of the extended ionized gas, obtained with an integral field spectrograph. We find that the emission lines are split in two components: (i) a fast moving (∼580km/s) blue-shifted broad (∼1000km/s) component and (ii) a narrow (∼400km/s) component at the systemic redshift, spatially resolved at the 0.5" level. We detect a faint red continuum knot that is spatially coinciding with the putative second nucleus 3C 48A (Stockton & Ridgway, 1991AJ....102..488S). We discuss the possible origins of the observed alignment between the radio jet ∼1" NE from the nucleus, the extended ionized emission and the position of 3C 48A.