Nature, Vol.370, No.6484, 35-39, 1994
Detection of Intergalactic Ionized Helium Absorption in a High-Redshift Quasar
Observations obtained with the recently refurbished Hubble Space Telescope reveal strong absorption arising from singly ionized helium along the line of sight to a high-redshift quasar. The strength of the absorption suggests that it may arise in a diffuse ionized intergalactic medium. The detection also confirms that substantial amounts of helium existed in the early Universe, as predicted by Big Bang nucleosyntheis theory.
Keywords:LYMAN-LIMIT ABSORPTION;HE-I ABSORPTION;ALPHA CLOUDS;SPECTRA;FOREST;LINES;PHOTOIONIZATION;EVOLUTION;CONTINUUM;HYDROGEN