Are Damped Lyman alpha Systems Rotating Disks ?

Abstract

We report on high spectral resolution observations of five damped Lyman alpha systems whose line velocity profiles and abundances are analyzed. By combining these data with information from the literature, we study the kinematics of the low and high ionization phases of damped systems and discuss the possibility that part of the motions is due to rotation.

2 pages, LaTeX, 2 PostScript figures, uses conf_iap.sty. To appear in the Proceedings of the 13th IAP Colloquium: Structure and Evolution of the IGM from QSO Absorption Line Systems, eds P. Petitjean and S. Charlot