Virginia TechBorguet, Benoit C. J.Edmonds, DouglasArav, NahumBenn, C.Chamberlain, Carter2014-02-252014-02-252012-10Benoit C. J. Borguet et al. 2012. "BAL phosphorus abundance and evidence for immense ionic column densities in quasar outflows: vlt/x-shooter observations of quasar SDSS J1512+1119," ApJ 758 69 doi:10.1088/0004-637X/758/1/690004-637Xhttp://hdl.handle.net/10919/25534We present spectroscopic analysis of the broad absorption line (BAL) outflow in quasar SDSS J1512+1119. In particular, we focus our attention on a kinematic component in which we identify P V and S IV/S IV* absorption troughs. The shape of the unblended phosphorus doublet troughs and the three S IV/S IV* troughs allow us to obtain reliable column density measurements for these two ions. Photoionization modeling using these column densities and those of He I* constrain the abundance of phosphorus to the range of 0.5-4 times the solar value. The total column density, ionization parameter, and metallicity inferred from the P V and S IV column densities lead to large optical depth values for the common transition observed in BAL outflows. We show that the true C IV optical depth is similar to 1000 times greater in the core of the absorption profile than the value deduced from its apparent optical depth.en-USIn Copyrightgalaxies: individual (sdss j1512+1119)line: formationquasars:absorption linesspace-telescope observationsgalactic nucleus outflowsabsorption-linequasarskeck hires observationsc-iv absorptionintrinsic absorptionmetal abundancesultraviolet-absorptionchemical abundancesstisobservationsArticle - Refereedhttp://m.iopscience.iop.org/0004-637X/758/1/69/pdf/0004-637X_758_1_69.pdfhttps://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637x/758/1/69