High-Resolution [ITAL]Hubble Space Telescope[/ITAL] Observations of Zn [CSC]ii[/CSC] and Cr [CSC]ii[/CSC] Absorption toward the Magellanic Clouds

Abstract

We present high-resolution (3.5 km s-1) spectra of Zn II and Cr II absorption obtained with the Hubble Space Telescope toward four Magellanic Cloud stars. We have detected absorption from the full extent of the Milky Way disk + halo with an average depletion measure of [Cr/Zn] = -1.07 ? 0.05. In addition, we identify absorption from the LMC toward two stars and from the SMC toward one of our targets. We find that the depletion of Cr relative to Zn in the Magellanic Clouds is comparable to that of the Milky Way interstellar medium (ISM). Assuming similar dust composition, the dust-to-metals ratio in the Galactic or Magellanic Cloud ISM is at least a factor of 2 higher than in damped Ly? QSO absorbers.