Strong Absorption-line Systems at Low Redshift: MgII and Damped Lyman Alpha
arXiv:astro-ph/0211295 · doi:10.1007/978-94-010-0115-1_4
Abstract
We detail a powerful indirect method for the study of damped Lyman alpha systems (DLAs) at low redshift. We increase the probability of finding a low-redshift DLA to nearly 50% by targeting QSOs that are known to have strong low-redshift MgII and FeII absorption lines in their spectra. We are using Sloan Digital Sky Survey QSO spectra complemented by a survey we are conducting at the MMT to study the metal-line systems. The Hubble Space Telescope is being used to confirm low-redshift DLAs. In addition, we are imaging low-redshift DLA galaxies with several ground-based telescopes to directly study their environments.
6 pages, 4 figures. To appear in the proceedings for "The IGM/Galaxy Connection" conference held in Boulder, Colorado, August 8-10, 2002