Damped and sub-damped Lyman-α absorbers in z > 4 QSOs

R. Guimarães; P. Petitjean; R. R. de Carvalho; S. G. Djorgovski; P. Noterdaeme; S. Castro; P. C. da R. Poppe; A. Aghaee

doi:10.1051/0004-6361/200811541

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Volume 508 / No 1 (December II 2009)

A&A, 508 1 (2009) 133-140

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Issue		A&A Volume 508, Number 1, December II 2009


Page(s)		133 - 140
Section		Extragalactic astronomy
DOI		https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/200811541
Published online		15 October 2009

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Appendix A: Notes on individual systems

In this Appendix we discuss systems where we note differences between our measurements and measurements by others.

1.: PSS 0131+0633 ( $z_{\rm em}= 4.430$ ). Péroux et al. (2001) report two sub-DLA candidates at $z_{\rm abs}$ = 3.17 and 3.61 with log N(H I) = 19.9 and 19.8 respectively. For the second system however, Péroux et al. (2001) give in Table 5 a redshift of $z_{\rm abs}$ = 3.61 for the H I line and $z_{\rm abs}$ = 3.609 for the metal lines but a redshift of $z_{\rm abs}$ = 3.69 and log N(H I) = 19.5 in their Sect. 8 namely, ``Notes on Individual Objects''. We also detect the first sub-DLA at $z_{\rm abs}$ = 3.173 with $\log N$ (H I) = 19.95 $\pm$ 0.10. Metal lines at that redshift are detected in the red part of the spectrum. For the second DLA candidate, we confirm the presence of the $z_{\rm abs}$ = 3.689 absorption with log N(H I) = 19.50 $\pm$ 0.10 in agreement with the sub-DLA candidate reported in Sect. 8 of Peroux et al. (2001). Metal lines at that redshift are also observed in the red part of the spectrum.
2.: PSS0747+4434 ( $z_{\rm em}$ = 4.435). Péroux et al. (2001) report two DLA candidates at z_{_rm
abs} = 3.76 and 4.02 with log N(H I) = 20.3 and 20.6 respectively, which are confirmed by our observations. We measure log N(H I) = 20.00 $\pm$ 0.20 at $z_{\rm abs}$ = 3.762 and log N(H I) = 21.10 $\pm$ 0.15 at $z_{\rm abs}$ = 4.019. No metal lines at $z_{\rm abs}$ = 3.76 are observed in both surveys. We remind the reader that our data are of higher spectral resolution.
3.: SDSS 0756+4104 ( $z_{\rm em}$ = 5.09). We detect a sub-DLA candidate at $z_{\rm abs}$ = 4.360 with log N(H I) = 20.15 $\pm$ 0.10. Although no Lyman series and metals are detected for this system, the spectrum has a high enough SNR to fit the H I line well and to ascertain that this aborber is highly likely to be damped.
4.: BR 0951-450 ( $z_{\rm em}$ = 4.35). PMSI03 report the detection of two DLA candidates at $z_{\rm abs}$ = 3.8580 and 4.2028 with log N(H I) = 20.6 and 20.4 respectively, which are confirmed by our observations. We measure log N(H I) = 20.70 $\pm$ 0.20 at $z_{\rm abs}$ = 3.856 and log N(H I) = 20.35 $\pm$ 0.15 at $z_{\rm abs}$ = 4.202. We discover an additional damped candidate at $z_{\rm abs}$ = 3.235 with log N(H I) = 20.25 $\pm$ 0.10. We believe that this system is not included in the statistical sample of PMSI03, because it falls below the threshold of log N(H I) = 20.30. Metal lines at that redshift are observed in the red part of the spectrum.
5.: BRI 1013+0035 ( $z_{\rm em}$ = 4.38). PMSI03 report one DLA candidate at $z_{\rm abs}$ = 3.103 with log N(H I) = 21.1. This system is not included in our sample since its redshift is smaller than the minimum redshift beyond which a DLA/sub-DLA could be detected in our spectrum. One damped candidate was discovered at $z_{\rm abs}$ = 3.738 with log N(H I) = 20.15 $\pm$ 0.20. We believe that this system is not included in the statistical sample of PMSI03 because it falls below the threshold of log N(H I) = 20.30. Although no Lyman series and metals are detected for this system, the SNR in the spectrum is high enough to ascertain that this absorber is highly likely to be damped.
6.: PSS 1057+4555 ( $z_{\rm em}$ = 4.126). Péroux et al. (2001) report three DLA candidates at $z_{\rm abs}$ = 2.90, 3.05 and 3.32 with log N(H I) = 20.1, 20.3 and 20.2 respectively, which are confirmed by our observations. We measure log N(H I) = 20.05 $\pm$ 0.10 at $z_{\rm abs}$ = 2.909, log N(H I) = 19.80 $\pm$ 0.15 at $z_{\rm abs}$ = 3.058 and log N(H I) = 20.15 $\pm$ 0.10 at $z_{\rm abs}$ = 3.317. Metal lines at all three redshifts are observed in the red part of the spectrum. We report a new sub-DLA at $z_{\rm abs}$ = 3.164 with log N(H I) = 19.50 $\pm$ 0.20. Several metal lines are detected for this sytem.
7.: PSS 1253-0228 ( $z_{\rm em}$ = 4.007). Péroux et al. (2001) report two DLA candidates at $z_{\rm abs}$ = 2.78 and 3.60 with log N(H I) = 21.4 and 19.7, respectively. The system at $z_{\rm abs}$ = 2.78 is not included in our sample because its redshift falls below the minimum redshift beyond which DLA/sub-DLA could be detected in our spectrum. We measure log N(H I) = 19.95 $\pm$ 0.10 at $z_{\rm abs}$ = 3.608. Several metal lines are detected for this sytem.
8.: J 1325+1123 ( $z_{\rm em}$ = 4.400). We have discovered two sub-DLA candidates at $z_{\rm abs}$ = 3.723 and 4.133 with log N(H I) = 19.50 $\pm$ 0.20 and 19.50 $\pm$ 0.20, respectively. C IV metal lines are detected at $z_{\rm abs}$ = 3.723. These two sub-DLAs can be found in the list of SDSS DR5 systems .
9.: PSS 1633+1411 ( z_{_rm
em} = 4.349). Péroux et al. (2001) report one sub-DLA candidate at $z_{\rm abs}$ = 3.90 with log N(H I) = 19.8. Here, we measure log N(H I) = 19.0 $\pm$ 0.20 at $z_{\rm abs}$ = 3.909. We report a new DLA at $z_{\rm abs}$ = 2.880 with log N(H I) = 20.30 $\pm$ 0.15. Several metal lines are detected for this sytem.
10.: PSS 1646+5514 ( $z_{\rm em}$ = 4.084). No DLA candidate is detected by Péroux et al. (2001) along this line of sight. We report here two sub-DLA candidates at $z_{\rm abs}$ = 2.932 and 4.029 with log N(H I) = 19.50 $\pm$ 0.10 and 19.80 $\pm$ 0.15, respectively. No metals are seen over the available wavelength coverage.
11.: PSS 2122-0014 ( $z_{\rm em}$ = 4.084). Péroux et al. (2001) report two candidates at $z_{\rm abs}$ = 3.20 and 4.00 with log N(H I) = 20.3 and 20.1, respectively. Here, we measure log N(H I) = 20.20 $\pm$ 0.10 and 20.15 $\pm$ 0.15 at $z_{\rm abs}$ = 3.207 and 4.001. Several metal lines are detected for both systems. We report a new sub-DLA candidate at $z_{\rm abs}$ = 3.264 with log N(H I) = 19.90 $\pm$ 0.15. Several metal lines also are detected for this system.
12.: PSS 2154+0335 ( $z_{\rm em}$ = 4.359). Péroux et al. (2001) report two candidates at $z_{\rm abs}$ = 3.61 and 3.79 with log N(H I) = 20.4 and 19.70, respectively. No candidate with log N(H I) > 19.50 is detected in our spectrum.
13.: PSS 2155+1358 ( $z_{\rm em}$ = 4.256). Péroux et al. (2001) report one DLA at $z_{\rm abs}$ = 3.32 with log N(H I) = 21.10. Dessauges et al. (2003) report three sub-DLAs at $z_{\rm abs}$ = 3.142, 3.565 and 4.212 with log N(H I) = 19.94, 19.37 and 19.61. Here, we measure log N(H I) = 19.90 $\pm$ 0.20, 20.75 $\pm$ 0.20 and 20.00 $\pm$ 0.10 at z_rm
abs = 3.143, 3.318 and 4.211, respectively. Several metal lines are detected for these systems.
14.: PSS2344+0342 ( $z_{\rm em}$ = 4.340). Péroux et al. (2001) report two DLAs at $z_{\rm abs}$ = 2.68 and 3.21 with log N(H I) = 21.10 and 20.9. The first system is not included in our sample because its redshift falls below the minimum redshift beyond which a DLA/sub-DLA could be detected in our spectrum. We measure log N(H I) = 21.20 $\pm$ 0.10 at $z_{\rm abs}$ = 3.220. Dessauges et al. (2003) report one sub-DLA at $z_{\rm abs}$ = 3.882 with log N(H I) = 19.50. We measure log N(H I) = 19.80 $\pm$ 0.10 at $z_{\rm abs}$ = 3.884.

Appendix B: List of figures

$\begin{figure} \includegraphics[width=17cm,height=18.5cm,clip]{11541fig10.ps} \end{figure}$

Figure B.1:

Spectra of the 100 confirmed Lyman- $\alpha$ absorption with log N(H I) $\geq$ 19.5. In each panel the Voigt profile fit corresponding to the best N(H I) value is overplotted. The Lyman series absorption lines and one characteristic associated metal absorption feature (when metals are present over the available wavelength coverage and not blended with another lines) are presented in additional sub-panels.

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Table 1: Summary of observations.

Table 2: List of DLA-subDLAs.

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