VLT + UVES spectroscopy of the low-ionization intrinsic absorber in SDSS J001130.56+005550.7^*

¹ Institut d'Astrophysique, Université de Liège, Allée du 6 août 17, Bât. B5c, 4000 Liège, Belgium
² European Southern Observatory, Casilla 19001, Santiago 19, Chile
³ Princeton University Observatory, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
⁴ Departamento de Astronomía y Astrofísica, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Casilla 306, Santiago 22, Chile
⁵ Apache Point Observatory, PO Box 59, Sunspot, NM 88349-0059, USA

Corresponding author: D. Hutsemékers, hutsemekers@astro.ulg.ac.be

Received: 7 May 2003
Accepted: 31 October 2003

Abstract

We analyse high-resolution VLT+UVES spectra of the low-ionization intrinsic absorber observed in the BAL QSO SDSS J001130.56+005550.7. Two narrow absorption systems at velocities -600 km s^-1 and -22 000 km s^-1 are detected. The low-velocity system is part of the broad absorption line (BAL), while the high-velocity one is well detached. While most narrow absorption components are only detected in the high-ionization species, the lowest velocity component is detected in both high- and low-ionization species, including in the excited  and lines. From the analysis of doublet lines, we find that the narrow absorption lines at the low-velocity end of the BAL trough are completely saturated but do not reach zero flux, their profiles being dominated by a velocity-dependent covering factor. The covering factor is significantly smaller for  than for  and , which demonstrates the intrinsic nature of absorber. From the analysis of the excited  and  lines in the lowest velocity component, we find an electron density 10³ cm^-3. Assuming photoionization equilibrium, we derive a distance 20 kpc between the low-ionization region and the quasar core. The correspondence in velocity of the high- and low-ionization features suggests that all these species must be closely associated, hence formed at the same distance of ~20 kpc, much higher than the distance usually assumed for BAL absorbers.