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B. D. Savage (U. Wisconsin-Madison), K. R. Sembach (JHU), T. M. Tripp (Princeton U.), P. Richter (U. Wisconsin-Madison), E. B. Jenkins (Princeton U.)
We analyze Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer (FUSE) and Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (STIS) observations of the intergalactic O VI absorption line systems in the direction of the bright QSO PG 0953+415 (z = 0.239). The FUSE observations cover the wavelength range from 905 to 1187 Å with a velocity resolution of 20 km/s. The STIS observations obtained with the E140M echelle spectrograph extend from 1150 to 1730 Å with a resolution of 8 km/s. These are supplemented with STIS G140M and G230M observations from 1145-1201 Å and from 1724-1814 A with a resolution of 30 km/s. We detect a strong O VI system at z = 0.06807 in the lines of H I Ly alpha, beta, and gamma, O VI 1031.93, 1037.62, N V 1238.80, 1242.80, C IV 1548.20, 1550.77, and C III 977.02 Å. We confirm the detection of the z = 0.14232 O VI system studied previously by Tripp and Savage (2000). The new FUSE observations of this system record Ly beta , O VI 1031.93, 1037.62, and C III 977.02 Å. We derive column densities for the absorption lines detected in both O VI systems using curve of growth and profile fitting techniques. We study the physical conditions in each system and attempt to determine the origin(s) of the ionization. Both detected O VI systems occur at redshifts where there are peaks in the number density of intervening galaxies along the line of sight based on a WIYN redshift survey of galaxies in the one degree field centered on PG 0953+415. We discuss the implications of these observations for the baryonic content of O VI absorption line systems. Financial support has been provided by NASA contract NAS-532985 and STSCI Grants GO 06499.02 and GO 08165.02.