@article{LopezReimersGreggetal.2005,
  author    = {Lopez, S. and Reimers, Dieter and Gregg, M. D. and Wisotzki, Lutz and Wucknitz, Olaf and Guzman, A.},
  title     = {Metal abundances in a damped Ly alpha system along two lines of sight at z=0.93},
  issn      = {0004-637X},
  year      = {2005},
  abstract  = {We study metal abundances in the z = 0.9313 damped Ly alpha system observed along the two lines of sight, A and B, toward the gravitationally lensed double QSO HE 0512-3329. Spatially resolved Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph spectra constrain the neutral-gas column density to be N(H I) = 1020.5 cm(-2) in both A and B. UV-visual Echelle Spectrograph spectra ( spectral resolution FWHM = 9.8 km s(-1)) show, in contrast, significant line-of-sight differences in the column densities of Mn II and Fe II; these are not due to observational systematics. We find that [Mn/H] = -1.44 and [Fe/H] = -1.52 in damped Ly alpha system A, while [Mn/H] = -0.98 and [Fe/H] > -1.32, and possibly as high as [Fe/H] approximate to -1, in damped Ly alpha system B. A careful assessment of possible systematic errors leads us to conclude that these transverse differences are significant at a 5 sigma level or greater. Although nucleosynthesis effects may also be at play, we favor differential dust depletion as the main mechanism producing the observed abundance gradient. The transverse separation is 5 h(70)(-1) kpc at the redshift of the absorber, which is also likely to be the lensing galaxy. The derived abundances therefore probe two opposite sides of a single galaxy hosting both damped Ly alpha systems. This is the first time firm abundance constraints have been obtained for a single damped system probed by two lines of sight. The significance of this finding for the cosmic evolution of metals is discussed},
  language  = {en}
}