STRONG CLUSTERING IN THE LOW-REDSHIFT Lyα FOREST

摘要

The two-point correlation function, ξ, of Lyα forest is found to be large, ξ = 1.8_(-1.2)~(+1.6), greater than 90% confidence level, on the scale of 250-500 km s~(-1) for a sample of absorbers (0 < z < 1.3) assembled from Hubble Space Telescope Key Project Observations. This correlation function is stronger than at high redshift (z > 1.7) where ξ ≈ 0.2 for velocities greater than 250 km s~(-1).