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Establishing the Connections Between Galaxies and Mg II Absorbing Gas

Christopher W. Churchill

astro-pharXiv:astro-ph/9604127

Abstract

HIRES/Keck spectra of Mg II (2796) absorption arising in the &#34;halos&#34; of 15 identified 0.4 < z < 0.9 galaxies are presented. Comparison of the galaxy and absorbing gas properties reveal that the spatial distribution of galactic/halo gas does not follow a smooth galactocentric dependence. The kinematics of absorbing gas in z < 1 galaxies are not suggestive of a single systematic velocity field (i.e. rotation or radial flow) and show little dependence on the QSO-galaxy impact parameter. From the full HIRES dataset of 41 systems (0.4 < z < 1.7), strong redshift evolution in the cloud-cloud velocity dispersion is measured. Direct evidence for turbulent or bulk motion in &#34;high velocity&#34; clouds is found by comparing Fe II and Mg II Doppler parameters.

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