1997/08/28 by Jean M. Quashnock, Quashnock, Jean M., D. E. vanden Berk +2
Chemistry · Physics and Astronomy · #Astrophysics (astro-ph) #Astrophysics and Star Formation Studies #FOS: Physical sciences #Spectroscopy and Laser Applications #Stellar, planetary, and galactic studies #astro-ph
paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.astro-ph/9708266
4 LaTeX pages, with 2 encapsulated PostScript figures, uses conf_iap.sty (included). To appear in the Proceedings of the 13th IAP Colloquium (July 1-5, 1997): ``Structure and Evolution of the IGM from QSO Absorption Line Systems''
arxiv created 1997/08/28 · openalex publication_date 1997/08/28 · arxiv updated 2009/12/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
We have analyzed the clustering of C IV and Mg II absorption-line systems on comoving scales from 1 to 16 \hMpc, using an extensive catalog of heavy-element QSO absorbers with mean redshift 2.2 (C IV) and 0.9 (Mg II). For the C IV sample as a whole, the absorber line-of-sight correlation function is well fit by a power law of the form ξ(r)=(r0/r)γ, with maximum-likelihood values of γ= 1.75 +0.50-0.70 and comoving r0 = 3.4 +0.7-1.0 \hMpc (q0=0.5). This clustering is of the same form as that for galaxies and clusters at low redshift, and of amplitude such that absorbers are correlated on scales of clusters of galaxies. We also trace the evolution of the mean amplitude ξ0(z) of the correlation function from z=3 to z=0.9. We find that, when parametrized as ξ0(z)∝ (1+z)-(3+ε)+γ, the amplitude grows rapidly with decreasing redshift, with maximum-likelihood value for the evolutionary parameter of ε= 2.05 ± 1.0. The rapid growth seen in the clustering of absorbers is consistent with gravitationally induced growth of perturbations.