Related papers: Probing Inhomogeneity in the Helium Ionizing UV Ba…
The O VI ion observed in quasar absorption line spectra is the most accessible tracer of the cosmic metal distribution in the low redshift (z<0.5) intergalactic medium (IGM). We explore the nature and origin of O VI absorbers using…
Observations of escaping atmospheres on close-in exoplanets show a wide range in the strength and morphology of He I 10830 A and H I absorption. Scaling relations attempt to link the He I signal to XUV irradiation, mass loss, and bulk…
We use quasar absorption lines to study the physical conditions in the circumgalactic medium of redshift $z\approx 2.3$ star-forming galaxies taken from the Keck Baryonic Structure Survey (KBSS). In Turner et al. 2014 we used the pixel…
Investigations of He II Ly-alpha (304 A rest) absorption toward a half-dozen quasars at z~3-4 have demonstrated the great potential of helium studies of the IGM, but the current critically small sample size of clean sightlines for the He II…
Spectra of the \ze~$=4.12$ quasar Q$0000-2619$ have been obtained in the range $\lambda\lambda = 4880-8115$ \AA~with a resolution of 13 \kms~and signal--to--noise ratio of $s/n=15-60$ per resolution element. The mode of the distribution of…
Recently, NIRSpec PRISM/CLEAR observations by JWST have begun providing rest-frame UV continuum measurements of galaxies at $z\gtrsim7$, revealing signatures of Ly$\alpha$ damping-wing (DW) absorption by the intergalactic medium (IGM). We…
We have recently used the Hubble Space Telescope to study a pair of high velocity clouds in the direction of Mrk 509 that have unusual ionization properties. They exhibit strong CIV absorption with little or no low ion absorption or HI 21cm…
Intergalactic absorbers along lines of sight to distant quasars are a powerful diagnostic for the evolution and content of the IGM. In this study, we search known low-z Ly-alpha absorption systems for equivalent absorption in higher Lyman…
Cosmic reionization was the last major phase transition of hydrogen from neutral to highly ionized in the intergalactic medium (IGM). Current observations show that the IGM is significantly neutral at $z>7$, and largely ionized by…
An accurate characterisation of the physical properties of galaxies at cosmic dawn is key to understanding the origin of the high abundance of UV-bright galaxies at z$\gtrsim$10. We exploit deep NIRSpec PRISM observations of GHZ2 to…
We searched for 21-cm absorption associated with the z_abs = 1.3647 absorption system toward PKS 0237-233 using the GMRT. A high quality UVES spectrum shows that C I and C I* are detected at this redshift together with C II*, Mg I, Mg II,…
High signal-to-noise spectra toward background quasars are crucial for uncovering weak absorption in the circumgalactic medium (CGM) of intervening galaxies, such as the diagnostic lines of N V that provide insight to the ionization process…
The ultraviolet spectrum (1145--1720A) of the distant quasar Q 0302--003 (z=3.286) was observed at 1.8A resolution with the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph aboard the Hubble Space Telescope. A total integration time of 23,280 s was…
We present a reanalysis of the HeII Lyman alpha absorption towards the quasars HS1700+6416 and HE2347-4342 using new high S/N, optical observations. An alternative analysis method is applied, which fits the high quality, optical HI data…
The processes allowing the escape of ionizing photons from galaxies into the intergalactic medium are poorly known. To understand how Lyman continuum (LyC) photons escape galaxies, we constrain the HI covering fractions and column densities…
Measuring rest-frame ultraviolet rotational transitions from the Lyman and Werner bands in absorption against a bright background continuum is one of the few ways to directly measure molecular hydrogen (H2). Here we report the detection of…
We investigate interstellar absorption from molecular hydrogen (H_2) and metals in an intermediate-velocity cloud (IVC) in the direction of the LMC star Sk -68 80 (HD 36521), based on data from the Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer…
We have constructed three-dimensional models for the equilibrium abundance of molecular hydrogen within diffuse interstellar clouds of arbitrary geometry that are illuminated by ultraviolet radiation. The position-dependent photo-…
The estimate of the ionizing UV background through the proximity effect analysis is discussed. Taking into account the correct bending of the column density distribution which appears in high resolution high s/n data, a value of the UV…
We present new absorption-line analysis and new galaxy survey data obtained for the field around PKS0405-123 at z=0.57. Combining previously known OVI absorbers with new identifications in the higher S/N UV spectra obtained with COS, we…