Observed High-ion Absorption-line Signatures of Galactic Winds

Abstract

In this paper observations are presented of interstellar high-ion absorption-line profiles in three diverse environments: the extended halo of the Milky Way, the host galaxies of gamma-ray bursts at z > 2, and intervening damped Lyman-α absorbers at z ≈ 3. In the first two cases, outflow is directly detected, and in the remaining case outflow is suggested (but not strictly required) by the absorber kinematics. Together these observations demonstrate the ability of the high-ions to trace large-scale galactic outflows.