Quasar Absorption Lines Tracing Cosmic Structure Growth & Galaxy Evolution Over Cosmic Time

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7 Motivations and Astrophysical Context Mg II arises in environments ranging over five decades of N(HI) DLAs: N(HI)>2 x cm -2 LLSs: N(HI)>2 x cm -2 sub-LLSs: N(HI)<6 x cm -2 Statistical Cross-Sections, n  Giant molecular clouds?; 0.1 L * and LSB galaxies with wide range of morphologies; intergalactic clumps; n  ~15 kpc; black-bottom absorption with  v~200 km s -1 ; average C IV absorption (eg. Le Brun et al 1997; Rao & Turnshek 2000; Bouche’ etal 2000; cwc etal (II) 2000) “Normal” HSB galaxies with >0.1 L * ; n  ~40 kpc; complex kinematics with “high velocity” components with  v~ km s -1 ; range of C IV absorption (eg. Steidel et al 1994; cwc etal 1996; cwc 1997; cwc & Vogt 2000) assuming  * =0.03 h 3 Mpc -3 “forest clouds”? LSB galaxies?; dwarf galaxies?; few associated with HSB galaxies; mostly single unresolved clouds; n  ~70 kpc; sizes ~10 pc to 1 kpc; Z>0.1 solar; [  /Fe]~0 to +0.5; C f ~0.15; range of C IV absorption (eg. cwc & Le Brun 1998; cwc etal ApJS 1999 ; Rigby etal 2001) Sub-LLS Mg II selects a wide range of astrophysical sites, which can be traced from redshift 0 to 5

Chris Churchill (PSU)8 What the sensitivity and resolution buy… Steidel & Sargent (1992) cwc (1997); cwc & Charlton (1999)

Chris Churchill (PSU)9 cwc & Charlton 1999

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Chris Churchill (PSU)12 cwc 2001

Chris Churchill (PSU)13 Statistically, Profiles are Consistent with … (Charlton & cwc 1998) Monte-Carlo Models of Absorbing Galaxies What is probability distribution for such models? Assume  ~r -2 probability distribution of clouds in disk and in halo Assume V rot =V infall kinematics of clouds in disk and in halo

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Chris Churchill (PSU)15 Voigt Profiles Assume minimum number of components that are statistically significant (MINFIT). Parameterization does not account for asymmetric line-of-sight streaming motion. cwc (1997); cwc, Vogt, & Charlton, ApJ, (2001)

Chris Churchill (PSU)16 “Weak Systems” Single Clouds, W r (MgII)<0.3 , isolated in redshift Unresolved line widths at 6 km s -1 Power law equivalent width distribution down to W r (MgII)=0.02  cwc etal, ApJS (1999) Steidel & Sargent (1992)

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