Assigned ID: 624 ----- Submission 1 (Sat Jan 22 00:37:10 GMT 2005) ----- We propose to analyze archival WFPC-2 images of 85 MgII absorption selected intermediate redshift galaxies, FOS spectra for 81 of these systems, and STIS quasar spectra for 23 of these systems. Our goal is to chart the connections between the kinematics, spatial distribution, and ionization conditions of the extended gaseous components of earlier epoch galaxies and the morphologies, sightline orientations, kinematics, and stellar populations of the host galaxies. The galaxy kinematics and stellar populations are being obtained with ground based spectra of the galaxies. The gas properties are studied from their absorption signatures in both ground based and HST quasar spectra. The galaxy moprhologies are studied using the high-spatial resolution HST images. The archival HST data will also be used to study the quantified morphological properties of all detected galaxies within 100-200 kpc of the quasar. We should be able to perform this analysis on galaxies with m_r<24. Thus, we will exploit the HST data beyond their originally proposed science goals by undertaking an ambituous study of very weak and "non-absorbing" galaxies in these fields. Overall, our goal is to perform an unprecedented study of the galaxy-gas connection in intermediate redshift galaxies. We will increase the sample size by a factor of ten over previous studies and we will, for the first time, include quantified morphological information on the galaxies. Due to the large field of view and high spatial resolution of the HST images and to the very high sensitivity of the HIRES spectra (by a factor of ten over previous studies), we will be able to perform a thorough analysis of "non-absorbing" galaxies. We aim to measure the absorbing gas physical extent and covering factor as a function of MgII column density and compare this with the high ionization absorption and galaxy morphological properties.

QUASAR ABSORPTION LINES AND IGM 12 59500.00 Budget is for one year only. false 0.0 false false false false false SUPPORTED