Related papers: Detecting Multiple DLAs per Spectrum in SDSS DR12 …
The results of a new spectroscopic survey of 66 $z \simgt 4$ quasars for Damped Lyman-alpha absorption systems are presented. The search led to the discovery of 30 new DLA candidates which are analysed in order to compute the comoving mass…
Damped Lyman-alpha absorbers are believed to be associated with galactic disks. We show that gravitational lensing can therefore affect the statistics of these systems. First, the magnification bias due to lensing raises faint QSOs above a…
Using a spectral stacking technique we searched for the average \lya emission from high-z Damped \lya (DLA) galaxies detected in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey QSO spectra. We used a sample of 341 DLAs of mean redshift <z>= 2.86 and log N(HI)…
Damped Lyman-$\alpha$ absorbers (DLAs) with molecular hydrogen have been probed in detail through both spectroscopic observations and numerical modelling. However, such H$_2$ absorbers are quite sparse at very high redshifts. We identify…
We present optical and near-infrared ground-based imaging results on four low-redshift damped Ly-alpha (DLA) galaxies. The corresponding DLA systems were discovered in our HST spectroscopic surveys for DLA lines in known strong MgII…
We present new spectroscopic observations of the quasar Q2059-360, confirming the existence of an emission feature within the Damped Lyman Alpha (DLA) absorption trough. By observing also at slit positions offset from the quasar, we show…
The nature of the galaxies that give rise to absorption lines, such as damped Lyman-alpha systems (DLAs) or strong MgII lines, in quasar spectra is difficult to investigate in emission. Taking advantage of the total absorption of the QSO…
We are exploring the connection between damped Ly-alpha absorbers (DLAs) and Lyman break galaxies (LBGs) using deep -- (5sigma)=26 m_{AB}-- broad band imaging (UBVI) of four wide fields (0.25 sq. deg. each) obtained at the Kitt Peak 4-m…
To search for low-redshift damped Lyman-alpha (DLA) and sub-DLA quasar absorbers, we have conducted a 21cm absorption survey of radio-loud quasars at small impact parameters to foreground galaxies selected from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey…
Using the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, Data Release 5, we survey proximate damped Lya systems (PDLAs): absorption line systems with HI column density N(HI)> 2x10^20 cm^{-2} at velocity separation dv < 3000 km/s from their background quasar.…
We present preliminary results from the Hamburg/ESO survey for Damped Ly-alpha (hereafter, DLA) Systems. This survey is characterized by (i) the good knowledge of the biases affecting the parent QSO survey, (ii) the brightness and (iii) the…
SDSS J095253.83+011422.0 (SDSS J0952+0114) was reported by Hall et al. (2004) as an exotic quasar at $z_{\rm em}=3.020$. In contrast to prominent broad metal--line emissions with FWHM~9000 km/s, only a narrow Ly \alpha emission line is…
We explore the possibility of resolving an image of a damped Lyman alpha (DLA) system in absorption against an extended, diffuse background X-ray source. Typical columns of neutral hydrogen in DLAs are high enough to block out up to ~30% of…
We investigate how damped Lyman-$\alpha$ absorbers (DLAs) at z ~ 2-3, detected in large optical spectroscopic surveys of quasars, trace the population of star-forming galaxies. Building on previous results, we construct a model based on…
We report the detection of the host galaxy of a damped Ly$\alpha$ system (DLA) with log N(HI) $ [\rm cm^{-2}]$ = $21.0 \pm 0.10$ at $z \approx 3.0091$ towards the background quasar SDSS J011852+040644 using the Palomar Cosmic Web Imager…
We present a sample of 45 Damped Lyman-$\alpha$ system (DLA, \nhi\ $ \geq 2 \times 10^{20} {\rm cm}^{-2}$) counterparts (33 detections, 12 upper limits) which host gamma-ray bursts (GRB-DLAs) in order to investigate star-formation and…
The metallicity in portions of high-redshift galaxies has been successfully measured thanks to the gas observed in absorption in the spectra of quasars, in the Damped Lyman-alpha systems (DLAs). Surprisingly, the global mean metallicity…
We derive the statistical properties of neutral gas at redshifts 0.11<z<1.65 from UV measurements of quasar Lyman alpha absorption lines corresponding to 369 MgII systems with $W^{\lambda2796}_{0} \ge 0.3$ \AA. In addition to the 41 damped…
The main properties of Damped Lyman alpha (DLA) systems are briefly reviewed with the aim of studying the nature and evolution of the galaxies associated with this class of QSO absorbers. Candidate DLA galaxies identified at z </= 1 in the…
The dust-content of damped Lyman-alpha systems (DLAs) is an important observable for understanding their origin and the neutral gas reservoirs of galaxies. While the average colour-excess of DLAs, E(B-V), is known to be <15 milli-magnitudes…