ASPCS
 
Back to Volume
Paper: Dust in MG II Absorption Systems
Volume: 156, Highly Redshifted Radio Lines
Page: 153
Authors: Malhotra, S.
Abstract: The dust absorption feature at 2175 AA is detected in a composite spectrum of Mg II absorbers. The composite absorber spectrum is obtained by taking the geometric mean of 92 quasar spectra after aligning them in the rest-frame of 96 absorbers. By aligning the spectra according to absorber redshifts we reinforce the spectral features of the absorbers, and smooth over possible bumps and wiggles in the emission spectra. The width of the observed absorption feature is 200-300 AA (FWHM), or 0.4-0.6 microns^{-1} and the central wavelength is 2240 AA. The Galactic dust feature has a central wavelength of 2176 AA and FWHM = 0.8-1.25 microns^{-1}. Simulations show that this discrepancy between the properties of the 2175 AA feature in Mg II absorbers and Galactic ISM can be mostly explained by the different methods used to measure them (cf. Malhotra 1997).
Back to Volume