Why high-latitude clouds in our galaxy and the highly redshifted clouds observed in front of QSOs do not belong to the same parent population

Journal Article · Sun May 01 00:00:00 EDT 1983 · Astrophys. J., Lett. Ed.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1086/184018· OSTI ID:5960832

Wolfe, A M

International Ultraviolet Explorer observations of high-latitude gas in our Galaxy reveal the presence of both C II and C IV absorption in the spectra of stars with z>2 kpc. On the other hand, C II is generally absent from unbiased samples of QSO redshift systems with C IV absorption. Comparison between the equivalent-width distributions of the QSO sample and of the galactic sample (which is suitably corrected for contamination by disk absorption) shows that a probability that the two samples are drawn from the same parent population is less than 1% for C II and less than 10% for C IV. Thus, contrary to prevailing opinion, it is highly unlikely that gaseous halos comprised of material with properties of the high-latitude gas are responsible for the bulk of known QSO redshift systems. However, gaseous halos with bimodal states of ionization, or in which the ionization state is a unique function of redshift, are compatible with QSO absorption statistics.

• OSTI ID: 5960832
• Journal Information: Astrophys. J., Lett. Ed.; (United States), Vol. 268:1
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
INTERGALACTIC SPACE
CARBON IONS
COSMOCHEMISTRY
QUASARS
ABSORPTION SPECTRA
RED SHIFT
MILKY WAY
CHARGED PARTICLES
CHEMISTRY
COSMIC RADIO SOURCES
GALAXIES
IONS
SPACE
SPECTRA
640105* - Astrophysics & Cosmology- Galaxies
640103 - Astrophysics & Cosmology- Quasi-Stellar
Radio
& X-Ray Sources- (-1987)