Observations of Ni II absorption at z = 2. 811 toward the QSO PKS 0528-250

Journal Article · Sat Aug 01 04:00:00 EDT 1987 · Astrophys. J.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1086/184952· OSTI ID:5711195

Meyer, D M; York, D G

Observations of strong Ni II absorption corresponding to the damped Ly-alpha absorption-line system at z = 2.811 toward the QSO PKS 0528-250 are presented. Cr II absorption corresponding to the damped Ly-alpha system at z = 2.142 has also been detected toward this QSO. These observations constitute the first confident identifications of Ni and Cr in a QSO absorption-line system. The abundances of Ni II and Cr II relative to H I indicate that much less Ni and Cr is depleted from the gas phase in these systems than in Galactic interstellar clouds. The 2sigma upper limit of 3.0 x 10 to the 13th/sq cm on the column density of C I in the z = 2.811 system is consistent with this implied lack of dust in that C I is much more likely to be photoionized when there are few dust grains to shield it from the surrounding radiation field. The implications of these observations with regard to the interpretation of damped Ly-alpha systems as galactic disks and the possibility of using them as probes of galactic evolution at early epochs is discussed. 24 references.

• Research Organization: Chicago Univ., IL
• OSTI ID: 5711195
• Journal Information: Astrophys. J.; (United States), Journal Name: Astrophys. J.; (United States) Vol. 319; ISSN ASJOA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

640102* -- Astrophysics & Cosmology-- Stars & Quasi-Stellar
Radio & X-Ray Sources
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
ABSORPTION SPECTRA
ABUNDANCE
CHROMIUM
COSMIC DUST
COSMIC GASES
COSMIC RADIO SOURCES
DUSTS
ELEMENTS
FLUIDS
GALACTIC EVOLUTION
GALAXIES
GASES
INTERSTELLAR SPACE
LYMAN LINES
METALS
MORPHOLOGY
QUASARS
SPACE
SPECTRA
TRANSITION ELEMENTS