arXiv subjects

J. A. Baldwin

Publications and source records attributed to J. A. Baldwin.

24 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv1998

Testing cosmological variability of the proton-to-electron mass ratio using the spectrum of PKS 0528-250

Multidimensional cosmologies allow for variations of fundamental physical constants over the course of cosmological evolution, and different versions of the theories predict different time dependences. In particular, such variations could manifest themselves as changes of the proton-to-electron mass ratio μ=m_p/m_e over the period of ~ 10^{10} years since the moment of formation of high-redshift QSO spectra. Here we analyze a new, high-resolution spectrum of the z=2.81080 molecular hydrogen absorption system toward the quasar PKS 0528-250 to derive a new observational constraint to the time-averaged variation rate of the proton-to-electron mass ratio. We find |\dotμ / μ| < 1.5 \times 10^{-14}/year, which is much tighter than previously measured limits.

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arXiv1997

Optical Light Curves of the Type Ia Supernovae 1990N and 1991T

We present UBVRI light curves for the bright Type Ia supernovae SN 1990N in NGC 4639 and SN 1991T in NGC 4527 based on photometry gathered in the course of the Calan/Tololo supernova program. Both objects have well-sampled light curves starting several days before maximum light and spanning well through the exponential tail. These data supercede the preliminary photometry published by Leibundgut et al (1991) and Phillips et al (1992). The host galaxies for these supernovae have (or will have) accurate distances based on the Cepheid period-luminosity relationship. The photometric data in this paper provide template curves for the study of general population of Type Ia supernova and accurate photometric indices needed for the Cepheid-supernova distance scale.

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arXiv1997

10 Mpc QSO Absorber Correlations at z~3

We present results from a survey of the Lyman alpha forest at 2.15<z<3.26 toward ten QSOs concentrated within a 1 degree field. We find correlations of the Lyman alpha absorption line wavelengths between different lines-of-sight over the whole redshift range. This indicates the existence of large-scale structures in the Lyman alpha forest extending at least over ~36/h comoving Mpc in the plane of the sky, as may be expected from recent large scale structure simulations.

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arXiv1996

Physical Conditions in Low Ionization Regions of the Orion Nebula

We reexamine the spectroscopic underpinnings of recent suggestions that [O I] and [Fe II] lines from the Orion H II region are produced in gas where the iron-carrying grains have been destroyed and the electron density is surprisingly high. Our new observations show that previous detections of [O I] 5577 were dominated by telluric emission. Our limits are consistent with a moderate density (10^4 cm^{-3}) photoionized gas. We show that a previously proposed model of the Orion H II region reproduces the observed [O I] and [Fe II] spectrum. These lines are fully consistent with formation in a dusty region of moderate density.

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arXiv1995

Large-Scale Structure at z~2.5

We have made a statistically complete, unbiased survey of C IV systems toward a region of high QSO density near the South Galactic Pole using 25 lines of sight spanning $1.5<z<2.8$. Such a survey makes an excellent probe of large-scale structure at early epochs. We find evidence for structure on the $15-35h^{-1}$ proper Mpc scale ($H_0 \equiv 100$ km $s^{-1}$ Mpc${-1}$) as determined by the two point C IV - C IV absorber correlation function, and reject the null hypothesis that C IV systems are distributed randomly on such scales at the $\sim 3.5σ$ level. The structure likely reflects the distance between two groups of absorbers subtending $\sim~ 13 \times 5 \times 21h^{-3}$ and $\sim 7 \times 1 \times 15h^{-3}$ Mpc$^3$ at $z\sim 2.3$ and $z \sim 2.5$ respectively. There is also a marginal trend for the association of high rest equivalent width C IV absorbers and QSOs at similar redshifts but along different lines of sight. The total number of C IV systems detected is consistent with that which would be expected based on a survey using many widely separated lines of sight. Using the same data, we also find 11 Mg II absorbers in a complete survey toward 24 lines of sight; there is no evidence for Mg II - Mg II or Mg II - QSO clustering, though the sample size is likely still small to detect such structure if it exists.

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arXiv1995

High Resolution Observations of the QSO BR1202-0725: Deuterium and Ionic Abundances at Redshifts Above z=4

We present results from 12 km/s resolution echelle spectroscopy of the bright $z=4.694$ QSO BR1202-0725. A preliminary analysis shows that high metallicity narrow line absorption clouds are present up to the redshift of the quasar. A damped Ly$α$ system with an HI column density of $3.1 \times 10^{20}$ cm$^{-2}$ at $z=4.383$ has an [O/H] ratio that is about 0.01 solar, while another absorption system with an HI column density of $5.0 \times 10^{16}$ cm$^{-2}$ at $z=4.672$, may have an O/H ratio that is twice solar. An upper limit, or the possible detection of deuterium in this absorption cloud gives a D/H ratio of about 1.5\,10$^{-4}$. Because this cloud is metal rich at least some of the cloud gas has been processed after the beginning of the Universe.

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