The History of Galactic Gas at Redshifts 2.5 to 4.0: Near--IR Spectroscopy with the 8--m Hobby Eberly Telescope

Charlton, Jane 96-17185 Dr. Charlton will conduct two observing programs with the new Hobby-Eberly Telescope. The first is a survey of Mg II absorbers, which focuses on their statistical evolution relative to H I and high ions. The second is a study of the kinematics of absorbers at higher resolution to chart the evolution of low ionization gas kinematics. The results of this research are to provide a first view of low ionization gas in the high redshift universe, a statistical sample of both low and high ionization absorption lines as a basis of future studies and a database from which high redshift Mg II absorbing galaxies can be identified and followed up with imaging.