Related papers: Can UVB variations reconcile simulated quasar abso…
We present observations of the O VI system at z_abs = 0.495096 toward PKS 0405-123 (z_em = 0.5726) obtained with FUSE and STIS. In addition to strong O VI, with log N(O VI) = 14.47+/-0.02, and moderate H I this absorber shows C III, N IV, O…
We report multi-epoch GMRT HI observations of the z = 0.3127 damped absorber towards the quasar PKS 1127-145, which reveal variability in both the absorption profile and the flux of the background source, over a time-scale of a few days.…
We present the first science results from our Hubble Space Telescope Survey for Lyman limit absorption systems (LLS) using the low dispersion spectroscopic modes of the Advanced Camera for Surveys and the Wide Field Camera 3. Through an…
From a survey for redshifted HI 21-cm and OH 18-cm absorption in the hosts of a sample of radio galaxies and quasars, we detect HI in three of the ten and OH in none of the fourteen sources for which useful data were obtained. As expected…
We present new near-infrared (rest-frame UV-to-optical) spectra of the high redshift, gravitationally lensed quasar B 1422+231 (z=3.62). Diagnostic emission lines of FeII, [OIII]5007, and Hb, commonly used to determine the excitation,…
We present a large high-resolution study of the distribution and evolution of CIV absorbers, including the weakest population with equivalent widths $W_r<0.3$~{\AA}. By searching 369 high-resolution, high signal-to-noise spectra of quasars…
We report on the statistics of strong (W_r > 0.15 A) C IV absorbers at z=1.5-3.5 toward high-redshift gamma-ray bursts (GRBs). In contrast with a recent survey for strong Mg II absorption systems at z < 2, we find that the number of C IV…
Understanding cosmic reionization requires the identification and characterization of early sources of hydrogen-ionizing photons. The 2012 Hubble Ultra Deep Field (UDF12) campaign has acquired the deepest infrared images with the Wide Field…
Quasars serve as important cosmological probes and constructing accurate luminosity relations for them is essential for their use in cosmology. If the coefficients of quasar's luminosity relation vary with redshift, it could introduce…
The brightest southern quasar above redshift $z=1$, HE 0515$-$4414, with its strong intervening metal absorption-line system at $z_{abs}=1.1508$, provides a unique opportunity to precisely measure or limit relative variations in the…
We present VLT-UVES echelle spectroscopy of the HI and CIV absorption in the spatially-extended Lyman-alpha emission around two high-redshift radio galaxies 0200+015 (z=2.23) and 0943-242 (z=2.92). The absorbers in 0943-242 exhibit little…
We performed spectroscopic analyses of five local compact star-forming galaxies (CSFGs) with extremely high [OIII]/[OII] (O$_{32}$) ratios ($>20$). These targets remarkably share similar properties with high-redshift CIV emitters at $z>6$:…
We use cosmological simulations from the Feedback In Realistic Environments (FIRE) project, which implement a comprehensive set of stellar feedback processes, to study ultra-violet (UV) metal line emission from the circum-galactic medium of…
We present the results of a large survey of HI, OVI, and CIII absorption lines in the low-redshift (z<0.3) intergalactic medium (IGM). We begin with 171 strong Lyalpha absorption lines (W>80 mA) in 31 AGN sight lines studied with the Hubble…
We determined C, N and alpha-element relative abundances in the gas surrounding six QSOs at an average redshift of < z > ~ 2.4, by studying six narrow associated absorption systems in UVES high-resolution spectra. We found five systems with…
We have obtained high resolution (FWHM = 4.4 km/s) Keck spectra of images A and C of the gravitationally lensed QSO Q1422+231. The images are separated by 1.3" on the sky. In an absorption system at z = 3.538 gas column density variations…
We have carried out a survey to search for hidden blazars in a sample of $z{\sim}2$ radio-loud quasars. The idea is based on our prediction that we should be able to see large CIV line variability not associated with observed continuum…
(Abridged) We present the results from the largest investigation to date of the proximity effect in the HI Lyalpha forest, using the fifth SDSS data release. The sample consists of 1733 QSOs at redshifts z>2.3 and S/N>10. We adopted the…
Among the many different pieces of physics that go into simulations of the circumgalactic medium (CGM), the metagalactic ultraviolet background (UVB) plays a significant role in determining the ionization state of different metal species.…
We present an analysis of UV spectra of quasars at intermediate redshifts believed to belong to the extreme Population A (xA), aimed to estimate the chemical abundances of the broad line emitting gas. We follow the approach described in a…