Unveiling DLA Host Galaxies using KCWI

We present the rest-UV properties of high-NHI absorber-host (abs-host) galaxies between z~2-3 using deep pointings of KCWI. We perform datacube PSF subtraction of the quasars that illuminate the absorbers to detect and characterize the abs-host galaxies Lyalpha emission, extract their continuum, and measure their position angle and projected (angular) distance from the quasar sightline. The absorber’s HI column density and metal abundances were measured from high resolution spectra and are important because they hold information about the inner (or outer) CGM of the abs-host galaxies. This gives us a detailed and direct look at the baryon cycle for individual high z galaxies; which was once only possible at low z. This is the pilot study for a larger project that will search all KBSS fields for abs-host galaxies.