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Properties of a Chemically Enriched Lya Absorption System at z=0.167 and Implications for the Total Baryons in Extended Gaseous Envelopes Around Galaxies

Hsiao-Wen Chen, Jason X. Prochaska, Kenneth M. Lanzetta

astro-pharXiv:astro-ph/0108068

Abstract

We present a detailed analysis of the chemical abundances, ionization state, and origin of a partial Lyman limit system (N(HI) ~ 1016 cm-2) at low redshift (z=0.167 towards PKS0405-1219). We also present the first estimate of the total baryons in extended gaseous envelopes around galaxies based on a simple photoionization model for the Lya absorbers. We find that extended gaseous envelopes can explain between 5--20% of the total baryons predicted by the big bang nucleosynthesis model.

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