HST UV and Keck HIRES Spectra of BALQSOs

In the analysis of broad absorption line (BAL) quasar spectra , Keck HIRES spectra are a useful complement to lower resolution HST and ground based spectra. The HIRES spectra provide accurate parameters for narrow, intervening type absorption systems including Lyman limit systems and a direct measurement of the smoothness of BAL features. The smoothness of the troughs is related to the number of " clouds " in the BAL region if the BAL region consists of clouds. The HIRES spectra , especially for z ∼ 2 BAL quasars, are also a source of high quality absorption templates. All of the BAL features are apparently resolved in the high resolution spectra (R ∼ 45 000), while low resolution (R ∼ 1000) spectra do not always resolve features belonging to the outflow.