Previous studies have shown that the incidence rate of intervening strong Mg II absorbers towards gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) were a factor of 2-4 higher than towards quasars. Exploring the similar sized and uniformly selected legacy data sets XQ-100 and XSGRB, each consisting of 100 quasar and 81 GRB afterglow spectra obtained with a single instrument (VLT/X-shooter), we demonstrate that there is no disagreement in the number density of strong Mg II absorbers with rest-frame equivalent widths W-r(lambda 2796) > 1 angstrom towards GRBs and quasars in the redshift range 0.1 less than or similar to z less than or similar to 5. With large and similar sample sizes, and path length coverages of Delta z = 57.8 and 254 : 4 for GRBs and quasars, respectively, the incidences of intervening absorbers are consistent within 1 sigma uncertainty levels at all redshifts. For absorbers at z < 2.3, the incidence towards GRBs is a factor of 1.5 +/- 0.4 higher than the expected number of strong Mg II absorbers in Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) quasar spectra, while for quasar absorbers observed with X-shooter we find an excess factor of 1.4 +/- 0.2 relative to SDSS quasars. Conversely, the incidence rates agree at all redshifts with reported high-spectral-resolution quasar data, and no excess is found. The only remaining discrepancy in incidences is between SDSS Mg II catalogues and high-spectral-resolution studies. The rest-frame equivalent-width distribution also agrees to within 1 sigma uncertainty levels between the GRB and quasar samples. Intervening strong Mg II absorbers towards GRBs are therefore neither unusually frequent, nor unusually strong.

No description available.

The diffuse interstellar bands (DIBs) probably arise from complex organic molecules whose strength in local galaxies correlates with neutral hydrogen column density, N(H I), and dust reddening, E(B−V). Because Damped Lyman-α systems are known to have high N(H I), and Ca II absorbers in quasar (QSO) spectra are posited to have high N(H I) and reddening, both represent promising sites for the detection of DIBs at cosmological distances. I present the results of a search for diffuse bands in seven DLAs and nine Ca II absorbers. I announce the detection of the first narrow DIBs at z>0 towards one DLA and one Ca II system. I further investigate the relative strengths of the DIBs as well as their correlations with N(H I) and E(B−V). Finally, I discuss the prospects for using DIBs to better understand the properties of quasar absorption systems, and for using DIB searches in absorption systems to better understand the properties of DIBs.

The diffuse interstellar bands (DIBs) probably arise from complex organic molecules whose strength in local galaxies correlates with neutral hydrogen column density, N(H I), and dust reddening, E(B−V). Because Damped Lyman-α systems are known to have high N(H I), and Ca II absorbers in quasar (QSO) spectra are posited to have high N(H I) and reddening, both represent promising sites for the detection of DIBs at cosmological distances. I present the results of a search for diffuse bands in seven DLAs and nine Ca II absorbers. I announce the detection of the first narrow DIBs at z>0 towards one DLA and one Ca II system. I further investigate the relative strengths of the DIBs as well as their correlations with N(H I) and E(B−V). Finally, I discuss the prospects for using DIBs to better understand the properties of quasar absorption systems, and for using DIB searches in absorption systems to better understand the properties of DIBs.

We present multisightline absorption spectroscopy of cool gas around three lensing galaxies at z = 0.4-0.7. These lenses have half-light radii r(e) = 2.6-8 kpc and stellar masses of log M-*/M-circle dot = 10.9-11.4, and therefore resemble nearby passive elliptical galaxies. The lensed QSO sightlines presented here occur at projected distances of d = 3-15 kpc (or d approximate to 1-2 r(e)) from the lensing galaxies, providing for the first time an opportunity to probe both interstellar gas at r similar to r(e) and circumgalactic gas at larger radii r >> r(e) of these distant quiescent galaxies. We observe distinct gas absorption properties among different lenses and among sightlines of individual lenses. Specifically, while the quadruple lens for HE 0435-1223 shows no absorption features to very sensitive limits along all four sightlines, strong MgII, Fe II, Mg I, and Ca II absorption transitions are detected along both sightlines near the double lens for HE 0047-1756, and in one of the two sightlines near the double lens for HE 1104-1805. The absorbers are resolved into 8-15 individual components with a line-of-sight velocity spread of Delta v approximate to 300-600 km s(-1). The large ionic column densities, log N greater than or similar to 14, observed in two components suggest that these may be Lyman limit or damped Ly a absorbers with a significant neutral hydrogen fraction. The majority of the absorbing components exhibit a uniform supersolar Fe/Mg ratio with a scatter of < 0.1 dex across the full Delta v range. Given a predominantly old stellar population in these lensing galaxies, we argue that the observed large velocity width and Fe-rich abundance pattern can be explained by SNe Ia enriched gas at radius r similar to r(e). We show that additional spatial constraints in line-of-sight velocity and relative abundance ratios afforded by a multisightline approach provide a powerful tool to resolve the origin of chemically enriched cool gas in massive haloes.

Very few low-ionization broad absorption line (LoBAL) QSOs have been found at high redshifts, to date. One high-redshift LoBAL QSO, J0122+1216, was recently discovered by the Lijiang 2.4 m Telescope, with an initial redshift determination of 4.76. Aiming to investigate its physical properties, we carried out follow-up observations in the optical and near-IR spectroscopy. Near-IR spectra from UKIRT and P200 confirm that it is a LoBAL, with a new redshift determination of 4.82 +/- 0.01 based on the Mg II emission-line. The new Mg II redshift determination reveals strong blueshifts and asymmetry of the high-ionization emission lines. We estimate a black hole mass of similar to 2.3 x 10(9) M-circle dot and Eddington ratio of similar to 1.0 according to the empirical Mg II-based single-epoch relation and bolometric correction factor. It is possible that strong outflows are the result of an extreme quasar environment driven by the high Eddington ratio. A lower limit on the outflowing kinetic power (>0.9% L-Edd) is derived from both emission and absorption lines, indicating that these outflows play a significant role in the feedback process that regulates the growth of its black hole, as well as host galaxy evolution.

Using Hubble Space Telescope Cosmic Origins Spectrograph observations of 89 QSO sightlines through the Sloan Digital Sky Survey footprint, we study the relationships between C IV absorption systems and the properties of nearby galaxies, as well as the large-scale environment. To maintain sensitivity to very faint galaxies, we restrict our sample to 0.0015 < z < 0.015, which defines a complete galaxy survey to L (SIC) 0.01 L-* or stellar mass M-* (SIC) 10(8) M-circle dot. We report two principal findings. First, for galaxies with impact parameter rho < 1 r(vir), C IV detection strongly depends on the luminosity/stellar mass of the nearby galaxy. C IV is preferentially associated with galaxies with M-* > 10(9.5) M-circle dot; lower-mass galaxies rarely exhibit significant C IV absorption (covering fraction f(C) = 9(-6)(+12)% for 11 galaxies with M-* < 10(9.5) M-circle dot.). Second, C IV detection within the M-* > 10(9.5) M-circle dot. population depends on environment. Using a fixed-aperture environmental density metric for galaxies with rho < 160 kpc at z < 0.055, we find that 57(-13)(+12)% (8/14) of galaxies in low-density regions (regions with fewer than seven L > 0.15 L* galaxies within 1.5 Mpc) have affiliated C IV absorption; however, none (0/7) of the galaxies in denser regions show C IV. Similarly, the C IV detection rate is lower for galaxies residing in groups with dark matter halo masses of M-halo > 10(12.5) M-circle dot. In contrast to C IV, H. I is pervasive in the circumgalactic medium without regard to mass or environment. These results indicate that C IV absorbers with log N(C IV). (SIC) 13.5 cm(-2) trace the halos of M-* > 10(9.5) M-circle dot galaxies but also reflect larger-scale environmental conditions.

We present the results of a new spectroscopic survey for dusty intervening absorption systems, particularly damped Ly alpha absorbers (DLAs), toward reddened quasars. The candidate quasars are selected from mid-infrared photometry from the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer combined with optical and near-infrared photometry. Out of 1073 candidates, we secure low-resolution spectra for 108 using the Nordic Optical Telescope on La Palma, Spain. Based on the spectra, we are able to classify 100 of the 108 targets as quasars. A large fraction (50%) is observed to have broad absorption lines (BALs). Moreover, we find six quasars with strange breaks in their spectra, which are not consistent with regular dust reddening. Using template fitting, we infer the amount of reddening along each line of sight ranging from A(V). approximate to. 0.1 to 1.2 mag (assuming a Small Magellanic Cloud extinction curve). In four cases, the reddening is consistent with dust exhibiting the 2175 angstrom feature caused by an intervening absorber, and for two of these, an Mg II absorption system is observed at the best-fit absorption redshift. In the rest of the cases, the reddening is most likely intrinsic to the quasar. We observe no evidence for dusty DLAs in this survey. However, the large fraction of BAL quasars hampers the detection of absorption systems. Out of the 50 non-BAL quasars, only 28 have sufficiently high redshift to detect Ly alpha in absorption.

SDSS J163459.82+204936.0 is a local (z = 0.1293) infrared-luminous quasar with L-IR = 10(11.91) L-circle dot. We present a detailed multiwavelength study of both the host galaxy and the nucleus. The host galaxy, appearing as an early-type galaxy in the optical images and spectra, demonstrates violent, obscured star formation activities with SFR approximate to 140 M-circle dot yr(-1), estimated from either the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon emission or IR luminosity. The optical to NIR spectra exhibit a blueshifted narrow cuspy component in H beta, He I lambda lambda 5876, 10830, and other emission lines consistently with an offset velocity of approximate to 900 km s(-1), as well as additional blueshifting phenomena in high-ionization lines (e.g., a blueshifted broad component of He I lambda 10830 and the bulk blueshifting of [O III].5007), while there exist blueshifted broad absorption lines (BALs) in Na I. D and He I lambda lambda 3889, 10830, indicative of the active galactic nucleus outflows producing BALs and emission lines. Constrained mutually by the several BALs in the photoionization simulations with Cloudy, the physical properties of the absorption line outflow are derived as follows: density 10(4) < n(H) less than or similar to 10(5) cm(-3), ionization parameter 10(-1.3) less than or similar to U 10(-0.7), and column density 10(22.5) less than or similar to N-H less than or similar to 10(22.9) cm(-2), which are similar to those derived for the emission line outflows. This similarity suggests a common origin. Taking advantages of both the absorption lines and outflowing emission lines, we find that the outflow gas is located at a distance of similar to 48-65 pc from the nucleus and that the kinetic luminosity of the outflow is 10(44)-10(46) erg s(-1). J1634+2049 has a off-centered galactic ring on the scale of similar to 30. kpc that is proved to be formed by a recent head-on collision by a nearby galaxy for which we spectroscopically measure the redshift. Thus, this quasar is a valuable object in the transitional phase emerging out of dust enshrouding as depicted by the coevolution scenario invoking galaxy merger (or violent interaction) and quasar feedback. Its proximity enables our further observational investigations in detail (or tests) of the co-evolution paradigm.

We present a survey of 72 Seyfert galaxies and quasars observed by the Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer (FUSE). Our survey is the largest to date searching for intrinsic UV absorption with high spectral resolution, and is the first step toward a more comprehensive study of intrinsic absorption in low-redshift AGN. We have determined that 72 of 253 available active galactic nuclei (AGN) are viable targets for detection of intrinsic absorption lines. We examined these spectra for signs of intrinsic absorption in the O VI doublet (lambda lamdba 1031.9, 1037.6) and Lyman beta (lambda 1025.7). The fraction of Seyfert 1 galaxies and low-redshift quasars at z<0.15 that show evidence of intrinsic UV absorption is ~50, which is slightly lower than Crenshaw et al. found (60%) based on a smaller sample of C IV absorption in Seyfert 1 galaxies observed with the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). The intrinsic absorption lines are mostly blueshifted with respect to the rest frame of the galaxy, indicating outflow of ionized gas from the AGN. With this new fraction we find a global covering factor of the absorbing gas with respect to the central nucleus of ~0.4. We also provide a deeper analysis of the intrinsic absorption features we found in 35 objects. We have characterized the relation between luminosity and velocity, and examined the relationships between equivalent width, full width at half maximum, velocity and continuum flux. The luminosity/velocity correlation has been explored previously by Laor & Brandt (2002), but at a significantly higher redshift and heavily weighted by Broad Absorption Line quasars. Our survey is for lower redshift and lower luminosity objects, mostly Seyfert galaxies. We have also explored each object with multiple observations for variablity in each of the aforementioned quantities and characterized the variation of equivalent width with continuum flux. Variability for low-z AGN has been seen in the past. In our survey, we find that variability of O VI (lambda lambda 1032, 1038) is less common than for the UV doublets of C IV and N V seen at longer wavelengths, because the O VI absorption is usually saturated. Lyman beta absorption variability is more frequent. In the target-by-target examination we find that Broad Absorption Line (BAL) features and Narrow Absorption Line (NAL) features are related, in that they follow a single relationship between the maximum outflow velocity and the AGN luminosity, and both can be exhibited in similar luminosity objects. IRAS F22456-5125 is one particular Seyfert galaxy that we have selected for modelling due to its interesting assortment of intrinsic absorption lines. It shows a system of five individual kinematic components of absorption features in both O VI lines and in several of the Lyman series lines. We find that each of the components are relatively simple to model and appear to be weak in the X-ray.