The Hubble Space Telescope quasar absorption line key project. v. redshift evolution of lyman limit absorption in the spectra of a large sample of quasars

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view Abstract Citations (117) References (21) Co-Reads Similar Papers Volume Content Graphics Metrics Export Citation NASA/ADS The Hubble Space Telescope Quasar Absorption Line Key Project. V. Redshift Evolution of Lyman Limit Absorption in the Spectra of a Large Sample of Quasars Stengler-Larrea, Erik A. ; Boksenberg, Alec ; Steidel, Charles C. ; Sargent, W. L. W. ; Bahcall, John N. ; Bergeron, Jacqueline ; Hartig, George F. ; Jannuzi, Buell T. ; Kirhakos, Sofia ; Savage, Blair D. ; Schneider, Donald P. ; Turnshek, David A. ; Weymann, Ray J. Abstract Using a sample of 119 QSOs, containing objects we have selected having previously available high quality ground-based and IUE spectral observations, together with Hubble Space Telescope (HST) observations of 26 QSOs from Bahcall et al. (1993, 1995) and Impey et al. (1995) and new optical observations of 41 objects by Steidel & Sargent (1995), we study the redshift evolution of Lyman limit absorption systems (LLSs; τ > 1.0) over the redshift range 0.32 <= Z_LLS_ <= 4.11. The HST observations significantly improve the determination of the low redshift (0.4 <= Z_LLS_ <= 1.4) distribution. We find the effect which may have been responsible for the apparent strong evolution at Z_LLS_ => 2.5 found by Lanzetta (1991), which led him to consider a broken, not single, power law as a better description of the redshift distribution of LLSs. After removing objects which may bias our sample, leaving a total of 169 QSOs, we find the distribution is well described by a single power law, and obtain for the number density as a function of redshift the form N(z) = N_0_(1 + z)gamma^ with γ = 1.50 +/- 0.39 and N_0_ = 0.25_+0.17_^-0.10^, consistent with a constant comoving density of absorbers in a Friedmann universe with q_0_ = 0 but indicating evolution if q_0_ = 1/2. Publication: The Astrophysical Journal Pub Date: May 1995 DOI: 10.1086/175582 Bibcode: 1995ApJ...444...64S Keywords: Absorption Spectra; Astronomical Spectroscopy; Lyman Spectra; Quasars; Red Shift; Ultraviolet Astronomy; Hubble Space Telescope; Iue; Stellar Evolution; Universe; Astronomy; GALAXIES: QUASARS: ABSORPTION LINES; ULTRAVIOLET: GALAXIES full text sources ADS | data products SIMBAD (182) NED (181) MAST (2) ESA (1) Related Materials (14) Part 1: 1993ApJS...87....1B Part 2: 1993ApJS...87...45S Part 3: 1993ApJ...413..116S Part 4: 1994ApJ...428...93T Part 6: 1994ApJ...436...33B Part 7: 1996ApJ...457...19B Part 8: 1994PASP..106..646K Part 10: 1994PASP..106.1020K Part 11: 1994ApJ...434..484E Part 12: 1995ApJS...97....1L Part 13: 1996ApJ...470L..11J Part 14: 1998ApJS..118....1J Part 15: 1998ApJ...506....1W Part 16: 2000ApJS..129..563S