Related papers: Limits on Reddening and Gas-to-Dust Ratios for Sev…
Using Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) early data release spectra, we have identified 370 MgII absorption systems with MgII 2796 rest equivalent widths >= 1A and redshifts z=0.9-2.2. From our previous and ongoing HST UV spectroscopic…
We present the discovery of a low-redshift damped Ly$\alpha$ (DLA) system in the spectrum of background starburst galaxy SDSS J111323.88+293039.3 ($z=0.17514$). The DLA is at an impact parameter of $\rm \rho=36~kpc$ from the star forming…
In this work, we study argon abundances in the interstellar medium of high-redshift galaxies (2<z(abs)<4.2) detected as Damped Lya absorbers (DLA) in the spectra of background quasars. We use high-resolution quasar spectra obtained from the…
We present results for QSO PKS 0405-123 (z=0.574, V=14.9), as part of a STIS Investigation Definition Team (IDT) key project to study weak Ly-alpha forest systems at low z. We detect 59 (47) Ly-alpha absorbers at 4.0 sigma significance to…
We have measured the 2D 2-point correlation function, Xi_AG, between low column density Ly-alpha absorbers and galaxies at a redshift z ~ 1. We measured Ly-alpha absorbers between redshifts z=0.68 to 1.51 over a total redshift path length…
The HI 21cm absorption optical depth and the N(HI) derived from Lya absorption can be combined to yield the spin temperature (Ts) of DLAs. Although Ts measurements exist for samples of DLAs with z <0.6 and z >1.7, the intermediate redshift…
We explore the redshift evolution of the metal content of damped Lyman alpha systems (DLAs) with new observations of four absorbers at z < 1.5 . The main conclusion is that the column density--weighted mean metallicity, [<Zn/H>] = -1.03 +/-…
The H~{\sc i} gas distribution in damped Lyman $\alpha$ absorbers (DLAs) has remained elusive due to the point-source nature of background quasar emission. Observing DLAs against spatially extended background galaxies provides a new method…
The presence of dust in quasar absorbers, such as damped Lyman alpha (DLA) systems, may cause the background QSO to appear reddened. We investigate the extent of this potential reddening by comparing the optical-to-infrared (IR) colors of…
We present results from a survey of galaxies in the fields of six z>3 Damped Lyman alpha systems (DLAs) using the Multi Unit Spectroscopic Explorer (MUSE) at the Very Large Telescope (VLT). We report a high detection rate of up to ~80% of…
Damped Lyman-$\alpha$ Absorber (DLA), or HI 21cm Absorber (H21A), is an important probe to model-independently measure the acceleration of spectroscopic velocity ($v_\mathrm{S}$) via the Sandage-Loeb (SL) effect. Confined by the shortage of…
We present deep GMRT 21cm absorption spectra of 10 damped Lyman-$\alpha$ systems (DLAs), of which 8 are at redshifts $z \ga 1.3$. HI absorption was detected in only one DLA, the $z = 0.5318$ absorber toward PKS 1629+12, which has been…
The damped and sub-damped Lyman alpha systems (DLAs and sub-DLAs) traced in absorption against bright background quasars represent the main reserve of neutral hydrogen at high redshifts. We used the archival Very Large Telescope (VLT)…
We search for galaxy counterparts to damped Lyman-alpha absorbers (DLAs) at z>2 towards nine quasars, which have 14 DLAs and 8 sub-DLAs in their spectra. We use integral field spectroscopy to search for Ly-alpha emission line objects at the…
Context. Several issues regarding the nature of dust at high redshift remain unresolved: its composition, its production and growth mechanisms, and its effect on background sources. Aims. We provide a more accurate relation between dust…
We present a new analysis of the dust obscuration in starburst galaxies at low and high redshift. This study is motivated by our unique sample of the most extreme UV-selected starburst galaxies in the nearby universe (z<0.3), found to be…
We derive the distribution of neutral and ionized gas in high redshift clouds which are optically thick to hydrogen ionizing radiation, using published data on Lyman-limit and Damped Lyman-alpha absorption systems in the redshift range 1.75…
Quasar absorption systems not only affect the way quasars are selected, but also serve as key probes of galaxies, providing insight into their chemical evolution and interstellar medium (ISM). Recently, a method based on Gaia astrometric…
If damped Lyman alpha systems (DLAs) contain even modest amounts of dust, the ultraviolet luminosity of the background quasar can be severely diminished. When the spectrum is redshifted, this leads to a bias in optical surveys for DLAs.…
A powerful technique to trace the signatures of the first stars is through the metal enrichment in concentrated reservoirs of hydrogen, such as the damped Lyman-alpha absorbers (DLAs) in the early universe. We conducted a survey aimed at…