\begin{table} %t1
\caption{\label{tab1}Column densities$^a$ and relative abundances of  argon in Damped Ly~$\alpha$~systems. }
 {
%%%\centerline

\par
{
\begin{tabular}{lllllllll}
\hline \hline\noalign{\smallskip}
QSO & $z_{\rm abs}$ & log $N$(\ion{H}{i}) & log $N$(\ion{Ar}{i}) &
~~~[Ar/O] &  ~~~[Ar/S] &~~~[Ar/Si] & $\Delta_{\rm [Ar/Si]}^b$ & References \\  
\noalign{\smallskip}\hline \noalign{\smallskip}
0528--2505	&	2.812	&	$21.11 \pm 0.04$	& $14.25 \pm 0.01$	&		&$-0.55 \pm 0.02$		&	$-0.63 \pm 0.04$	& $-0.04$  	&	This work; P\'eroux et~al. (\cite{P&02})	\\ 
0841+129	&	2.375	& $21.00 \pm 0.10$	&	$13.46 \pm 0.10$	&			& $-0.70 \pm 0.10$&$-0.74 \pm 0.10$	&	$-0.00$ 	&	This work; Centuri\'on et~al. (\cite{Centuri2003})	\\ 
0841+129	&	2.476	&	$20.79 \pm 0.10$	& $13.34 \pm 0.12$	&				&	$-0.57 \pm 0.12$	&$-0.55 \pm 0.14	$&	$-0.01$ & 	This work; Centuri\'on et~al. (\cite{Centuri2003})	\\ 
2343+1232	&	2.431	&	$20.18 \pm 0.05^c$	& $13.22 \pm 0.05^c$	&	 	&$-0.78 \pm 0.05^c$		&	$-0.84 \pm 0.05^c$	&  ~~~--	&	This work; D'Odorico et~al. (\cite{D&02}) \\ 
\noalign{\smallskip}\hline\noalign{\smallskip}
0000--263	&	3.390	&	$21.41 \pm 0.08$	&	$14.02 \pm 0.03$	&	$-0.03 \pm 0.03$	& $+0.00 \pm 0.04$&	$+0.00 \pm 0.04$	& 	$-0.00$ 	&	Molaro et~al. (\cite{Molaro2000}, \cite{Molaro2001})	\\ 
0201+365	&	2.462	&	$20.38 \pm 0.05$	& $14.08 \pm 0.03$	&			& $-0.53 \pm 0.03$	&	$-0.42 \pm 0.03$	&	$-0.20$ 	&	Prochaska et~al. (\cite{Prochaska2002a})	\\ 
0347--383	&	3.025	&	$20.63 \pm 0.01$	&	$13.99 \pm 0.02$	&	$-0.43 \pm 0.02$ &	& $-0.21 \pm 0.02$	&	$-0.00$  			&	Levshakov et~al. (\cite{Lev2002})	\\ 
0741+4741	& 3.017	&	$20.48 \pm 0.10$	&	$13.13 \pm 0.02$	&		&		&	$-0.18 \pm 0.02$	&	~~~-- 		&	Prochaska et~al. (\cite{Prochaska2002a})	\\ 
1759+7539	& 2.626	&	$20.61 \pm 0.01^c$	&	$13.68 \pm 0.03^c$	&		&	$-0.71 \pm 0.13^c$	&$-0.68 \pm 0.04^c$	& ~~~-- &
 Prochaska et~al. (\cite{Prochaska2002b})	\\  
2243$-$6031	&	2.330	&	$20.24 \pm 0.02^c$	& $13.35 \pm 0.05^c$ &			 & $-0.59 \pm 0.04^c$	&$-0.54 \pm 0.04^c$	& $-0.00$ &
	L\'opez et~al. (\cite{Lop&02})	\\
\noalign{\smallskip}\hline\noalign{\smallskip}												
0001	&	3.000	&	$20.70 \pm 0.05$	&	$<$13.38			&	$<$$-$0.16	&		&	$<$$-$0.03	&		 			&	Prochaska et~al. (\cite{Prochaska2002a})	\\
0336--0142	&	3.062	&	$21.20 \pm 0.10$	&	$>$13.94			&				&	 	$>$$-$0.37	& &					&	Prochaska et~al. (\cite{Prochaska2002a})	\\
0930+2858	&	3.235	&	$20.30 \pm 0.10$	&	$<$12.96			&		&		&	$<$+0.11	&		 				&	Prochaska et~al. (\cite{Prochaska2002a})	\\
1426+6039	&	2.827	&	$20.30 \pm 0.04$	&	$<$13.43			&		&		&	$<$$-$0.36	&	 				&	Prochaska et~al. (\cite{Prochaska2002a})	\\
2344+12	&	2.538	&	$20.36 \pm 0.10$	&	$<$13.26			&			&	&	$<$+0.12	&	 			&	Prochaska et~al. (\cite{Prochaska2002a})	\\
\noalign{\smallskip}\hline
\end{tabular} }}
%\smallskip
$^a$ Column densities are expressed in atoms cm$^{-2}$.
\\
$^b$ Additive dust correction term  for [Ar/Si] estimated using the set of
parameters S11 (Vladilo \cite{Vladilo2002}) and assuming zero dust depletion for~Ar.
\\
$^c$  
Sum of  velocity components seen in  \ion{Ar}{i};
the total $N$(\ion{H}{i}), given in the original reference, has been scaled down 
to match the fraction of~\ion{Si}{ii}~measured  
in the \ion{Ar}{i}~velocity components.  
\par
\end{table}