J/ApJ/662/72        Lyman alpha forest of 55 QSOs            (Becker+, 2007)
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The evolution of optical depth in the Ly{alpha} forest:
evidence against reionization at z~6.
    Becker G.D., Rauch M., Sargent W.L.W.
   <Astrophys. J., 662, 72-93 (2007)>
   =2007ApJ...662...72B    (SIMBAD/NED BibCode)
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ADC_Keywords: QSOs ; Redshifts ; Spectroscopy
Keywords: cosmology: observations - early universe - intergalactic medium -
          quasars: absorption lines

Abstract:
    We examine the evolution of the IGM Ly{alpha} optical depth
    distribution using the transmitted flux probability distribution
    function (PDF) in a high-resolution sample of 55 QSOs spanning
    absorption redshifts 1.7<z<5.8. The data are compared to two
    theoretical {tau} distributions: a model distribution based on the
    density distribution of Miralda-Escude et al. (2000ApJ...530....1M;
    MHR00) and a lognormal distribution.

Description:
    Observations were made using the HIRES spectrograph on Keck I between
    1993 and 2006.

File Summary:
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 FileName      Lrecl  Records   Explanations
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ReadMe            80        .   This file
qsos.dat          65       55   QSOs list
table1.dat        43       88   Fitted Ly{alpha} Forest regions
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See also:
    J/A+A/373/757   : Lyman-Alpha Forest of 3 QSOs (Kim+, 2001)
    J/MNRAS/335/555 : Lyman-alpha forest of 5 QSOs (Kim+, 2002)
    J/A+A/458/427   : Lyman alpha absorbers in 0.5<z<1.9 QSOs (Janknecht+, 2006)

Byte-by-byte Description of file: qsos.dat
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   Bytes Format Units   Label     Explanations
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   1- 15  A15   ---     QSO       QSO designation (1)
  18- 19  I2    h       RAh       ? Simbad Hour of Right Ascension (J2000.0)
  21- 22  I2    min     RAm       ? Simbad Minute of Right Ascension (J2000.0)
  24- 27  F4.1  s       RAs       ? Simbad Second of Right Ascension (J2000.0)
      29  A1    ---     DE-       ? Simbad Sign of the Declination (J2000.0)
  30- 31  I2    deg     DEd       ? Simbad Degree of Declination (J2000.0)
  33- 34  I2    arcmin  DEm       ? Simbad Arcminute of Declination (J2000.0)
  36- 37  I2    arcsec  DEs       ? Simbad Arcsecond of Declination (J2000.0)
  41- 65  A25   ---     SName     Simbad name
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Note (1): Q1244+3133 not identified
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Byte-by-byte Description of file: table1.dat
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   Bytes Format Units   Label     Explanations
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   1- 15  A15   ---     QSO       QSO designation
  17- 20  F4.2  ---     z         QSO redshift
  22- 26  F5.3  ---     zabs      Mean absorption redshift
  28- 32  F5.3  ---     zabsm     Mimimun absorption redshift value
  34- 38  F5.3  ---     zabsM     Maximum absorption redshift value
  40- 43  F4.2  ---     EFlux     Median error flux
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History:
    From electronic version of the journal

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(End)                                      Patricia Vannier [CDS]    16-Apr-2009