English (United Kingdom)

https://curated-unify.zendy.io/wp-json/zendy-region/v1/featured_content/oa?rat=en

https://curated-unify.zendy.io/wp-json/zendy-region/v1/highlighted_journal/

Global: Zendy Tools annual

Presents the keyphrase highlighting as premium feature

Keyphrase Highlighting

Presents the summarisation as premium feature

Summarisation

Insights

Presents the pdf analysis as premium feature

PDF Analysis

Presents the zaia usage as premium feature

ZAIA

Global: Zendy Tools monthly

Global: Zendy Plus monthly

Presents the access of premium content as premium feature

Premium Content

Global: Zendy Plus annual

Global: Zendy Free Plan

We study metal abundances in the z=0.9313 damped Lya system observed in thetwo lines-of-sight, A and B, toward the gravitationally-lensed double QSOHE0512-3329. Spatially resolved STIS spectra constrain the neutral-gas columndensity to be LogN(HI)=20.5 in both Aand B. UVES spectra (spectral resolutionFWHM=9.8 km/s) show, in contrast, significant line-of-sight differences in thecolumn densities of MnII and FeII; these are not due to observationalsystematics. We find that [Mn/H]=-1.44 and [Fe/H]=-1.52 in damped Lya system A,while [Mn/H]=-0.98 and [Fe/H]>-1.32, and possibly as high as [Fe/H] approx. -1in damped Lya system B. A careful assessment of possible systematic errorsleads us to conclude that these transverse differences are significant at a 5sigma level or greater. Although nucleosynthesis effects may also be at play,we favor differential dust-depletion as the main mechanism producing theobserved abundance gradient. The transverse separation is 5 kpc at the redshiftof the absorber, which is also likely to be the lensing galaxy. The derivedabundances therefore probe two opposite sides of a single galaxy hosting bothdamped Lya systems. This is the first time firm abundance constraints have beenobtained for a single damped system probed by two lines-of-sight. Thesignificance of this finding for the cosmic evolution of metals is discussed.Comment: In press at Ap

Metal Abundances in a Damped Lyα System along Two Lines of Sight atz= 0.93