We present spectra of 163 quasars at z_em_>4.4 taken with the Gemini Multi Object Spectrometers, the largest publicly available sample of high-quality (signal-to-noise ratio S/N~20 per 1.85{AA} pixel) low-resolution (full width at half maximum FWHM~320km/s) rest-frame ultraviolet quasar spectra at these redshifts. The sample was selected from SDSS Data Release 7 with the aim to obtain high-S/N follow-up spectra of the intergalactic HI Lyman series and Lyman continuum absorption at high redshift. Each quasar was observed with the GMOS B600 (FWHM~320km/s) and R400 (FWHM~360km/s) gratings to cover the rest-frame wavelength range from ~850 to ~1500{AA}. Here we make the spectra available in reduced form. The accompanying paper presents a detailed description the sample and a measurement of the mean free path to Lyman limit photons in the IGM, based on stacked rest-frame quasar spectra.

Cone search capability for table J/MNRAS/445/1745/qsos (Quasars observed with GMOS B600 and R400 gratings and GGG quasar emission redshifts)