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

2. Chris Churchill (PSU)2

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7. 7 Motivations and Astrophysical Context Mg II arises in environments ranging over five decades of N(HI) DLAs: N(HI)>2 x 10 20 cm -2 LLSs: N(HI)>2 x 10 17 cm -2 sub-LLSs: N(HI)<6 x 10 16 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~100-400 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

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

9. Chris Churchill (PSU)9 cwc & Charlton 1999

10. Chris Churchill (PSU)10

11. Chris Churchill (PSU)11

12. Chris Churchill (PSU)12 cwc 2001

13. 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

14. Chris Churchill (PSU)14

15. 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)

16. 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)

17. Chris Churchill (PSU)17

18. Chris Churchill (PSU)18

19. Chris Churchill (PSU)19