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OATS-DAUT SEMINAR
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Speaker: Giovanni Vladilo (INAF/Osservatorio Astronomico di Trieste)

Title: Fresh evidence of dust extinction in Damped Lyman alpha systems: implications for the existence of metal-rich systems

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Abstract:
I present a study of reddening of quasars of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey selected on the basis of the presence of an intervening Damped Lyman alpha (DLA) system with detected zinc absorption lines. The results of this study suggest the existence of a general relation between dust extinction and metal column density valid in DLA systems and local interstellar clouds. I discuss the implications of this relation for our understanding of the metallicity distribution of DLA systems and, in particular, for the existence of metal-rich systems.
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