The physical properties of the absorption envelopes of two QSOs.
The wide absorption t roughs of certain resonance lines in the spectra of the QSOs PHL 5200 and RS 23 are produced by pure scattering and must therefore be compensated by an equal amount of emission. Analysis of the transfer of resonance-line radiation through a differentially expanding atmosphere shows that the absorption-emission profiles can be quantitatively understood on this basis.