Outflows in Galaxies and Damped Ly-alpha System

Abstract

Although quasar absorbers, and in particular Damped Lyman-alpha systems (DLAs) have proven a valuable tool to study the early Universe, their exact nature is so far poorly constrained. It has been suggested that outflows in galaxies might account for at least part of the DLA population. Observational evidences and models in support of this hypothesis are reviewed, including recent observations of Lyman Break Galaxies (LBGs). Observational counter-arguments and theoretical limitations are also given. Finally, implications of such a model for the environment of galaxies at high-redshifts are discussed.

Conference proceedings, Semaine de l'Astrophysique Francaise, Paris, June 2002