Sub-arcsecond imaging and spectroscopy of the radio-loud highly polarized quasar PKS 1610-771

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We report on imaging and spectroscopic observations of the radio-loud, highly polarized quasar PKS 1610-771 (z = 1.71). Our long-slit spectroscopy of the companion 4.55 arcseconds NW of the quasar confirms the stellar nature of this object, so ruling out the previously suspected gravitationally lensed nature of this system. PKS 1610-771 looks fuzzy on our sub-arcsecond R and I images and appears located in a rich environment of faint galaxies. Possible magnification, without image splitting of the quasar itself, by some of these maybe foreground galaxies cannot be excluded. The continuum fuzz (made of the closest two objects, viz. A and D) is elongated in a direction orthogonal to the E vector of the optical polarization, as in high-redshift radio-galaxies. The spectrum of PKS 1610-771 appears strongly curved, in a convex way, with a maximum of intensity at 7,600 A (2,800 A rest frame), possibly indicating a strong ultraviolet absorption by dust.