[120.09] The Host Nature and Environment of SDSS selected Mg II absorption systems

AAS 207th Meeting, 8-12 January 2006
Session 120 Intergalactic Medium and Absorption Line Systems
Poster, Wednesday, 9:20am-6:30pm, January 11, 2006, Exhibit Hall

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[120.09] The Host Nature and Environment of SDSS selected Mg II absorption systems

M. Caler, R. Sheth, B. Jain (University of Pennsylvania)

We present preliminary results of an investigation into the nature and environment of Mg II absorption systems as seen in the spectra of background QSOs. Our sample is the Mg II absorbing system catalog of Prochter, Prochaska, and Burles 2004; we divide this sample by redshift and equivalent width to probe differences between populations. We use the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Data Release 4 (SDSS DR4) to find galaxies projected near the absorbing systems to within 3 arcmin. From this data we compute the galaxy-absorber angular correlation function as well as the luminosity function and colour distribution of neighbouring galaxies. Characterisitcs of candidate host systems are also considered. We discuss the interpretation of these results in terms of the halo structure of absorbing systems.

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