The Low Ionization Gaseous Content in Intermediate Redshift Galaxies

Chris Churchill

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The full text, tables, figures, and data of Churchill (1997) have been made available on these web pages as a data archive for 25 HIRES/Keck quasar spectra of 48 Mg II absorption systems. These web pages also contain a full explanation of the data reduction and analysis for a study of the kinematic, chemical, and ionization conditions and spatial distributions of Mg II absorbing gas associated with intermediate redshift galaxies.

The HIRES/Keck spectra are available by email request to the author. See my contact info to send me an email with the subject heading "HIRES data request". In the body of the message please state the quasar name(s) and the approximate wavelength coverage.

To examine the archive go to the discussion of systems. Comments for improving the utility of this "archive" are appreciated.

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Table of Contents

• Abstract
• List of Figures
• List of Tables
• Dedication
• Acknowledgements

• [Go] [Contents] Chapter 1. Introduction
  
• [Go] [Contents] Chapter 2. Data Reduction and Analysis
  
• [Go] [Contents] Chapter 3. The Absorbing Systems
  
• [Go] [Contents] Chapter 4. Assessing VP Decomposition of HIRES Spectra
  
• [Go] [Contents] Chapter 5. Column Densities, Line Broadening, and Kinematics
  
• [Go] [Contents] Chapter 6. Exploring the Galaxy-Absorber Connection
  
• [Go] [Contents] Chapter 7. Summary
  
• [Bibliography]

  
  

  1. Introduction
     • Background
     • Motivations
     • The Data
       • The HIRES Spectra
       • SDP Galaxies
     • HIRES/Keck Observations

     
     

  2. Data Reduction and Analysis
     • Data Reduction
       • Instrumental Calibration
       • Cosmic Ray Removal and Calibration Uncertainties
       • Optimized Extraction of the Spectra
       • Wavelength Calibration
       • Heliocentric Correction
     • Analysis of the Spectra
       • Continuum Normalization
       • Feature Identifications
       • The Absorber Redshifts
       • Limiting Rest Frame Equivalent Widths
     • Equivalent Widths
       • Errors in the Equivalent Widths
       • Doublet Ratios and Their Errors
     • Mean Velocities, Widths, and Asymmetries
       • AOD Mean Velocities
       • AOD Widths
       • AOD Asymmetries
       • Errors in the AOD Mean Velocity, Width, and Asymmetries
         • Mean Velocity Uncertainty
         • Velocity Width Uncertainty
         • Velocity Asymmetry Uncertainty
     • Apparent Column Densities
       • Errors in the Apparent Column Densities
         • Atomic Data
       • Adopted Apparent Column Densities
     • Voigt Profile Decomposition
       • Profile Fitting Philosophy
       • Profile Fitting: AUTOFIT and PROFIT
       • chi^2 Minimization: MINFIT
         • Convergence
         • Uncertainties in the VP Parameters
         • VP Component Rejection

     
     

  3. The Absorbing Systems
     • Absorption Properties of the Observed Systems
     • Redshift Distribution and Detection Sensitivity
     • Discussion of Individual Systems
       • Q 0002+051
       • Q 0058+019
       • Q 0117+212
       • Q 0420-014
       • Q 0450-132
       • Q 0454+039
       • Q 0454-220
       • Q 0823-223
       • Q 1101-264
       • Q 1148+384
       • Q 1206+459
       • Q 1213-003
       • Q 1222+228
       • Q 1225+317
       • Q 1241+174
       • Q 1248+401
       • Q 1254+044
       • Q 1317+274
       • Q 1329+412
       • Q 1354+193
       • Q 1421+331
       • Q 1548+093
       • Q 1622+235
       • Q 1634+706
       • Q 2128-123
       • Q 2145+064
     • Exploring the Absorption Properties
       • Spearman and Kendall Non-Parametric Tests
       • Overall Absorption Properties
       • Subfeature Absorption Properties
     • Comparing Integrated AOD and VP Column Densities

     
     

  4. Assessing VP Decomposition of HIRES Spectra
     • Generation of the Simulated Spectra
       • VP Component Selection Criteria for Analysis
     • Simulation 1A: Column Density Completeness
       • The Lowe-Limit Detectable Column Densities
       • Recovering Input MgII Column Densities
     • Simulations 1B and 1C: Modeling Sensitivity
       • Effects of Input Model
     • Simulation 2: N and b Distributions
       • Recovering Input VP Parameters
       • Recovering FeII to MgII Input Relations
       • Inferred Turbulence in Thermal Clouds
     • Simulation 3: Effects From Blending
       • Effects on the Number of Components per System
       • Effects on the Inferred Distribution of Column Densities
       • Recovering the FeII to MgII Input Relations
       • Inferred Cloud Thermal/Non-Thermal Properties
       • Effects on the Doppler b and Velocity Distributions
         • Doppler b Distributions
         • Velocity Distributions
         • The N-b Plane
         • The v-N Plane

     
     

  5. Column Densities, Line Broadening, and Kinematics
     • The MgII, FeII, and MgI Column Densities
       • Distribution of VP Component Column Densities
     • Doppler Parameters
       • Distribution of Doppler Parameters
       • Inferring the Cloud Temperatures
       • Are MgII Clouds Quiescent?
     • The Kinematics of MgII Absorbing Gas
       • The Observed TPCF
       • Modeling the Cloud Kinematics
         • Design of the Disk (D) Model
         • Design of the Infall Halo (IH) Model
         • The Simulations
         • Comparing to Observations
         • Information Lost: Model Lessons

     
     

  6. Exploring the Galaxy-Absorption Connection
     • Executive Summary
     • Introduction
     • Observations
     • Analysis
     • Testing For Correlations
     • A Second Look at the Galaxy/Halo Model
     • Discussion
     • Conclusions

     
     

  7. Summary
     • Overview of Study
     • Main Results
     • Concluding Remarks

  
  

  • Bibliography

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