Correlation of QSO absorption lines in universes dominated by cold dark matter

Theoretical predictions for the redshift correlations between QSO absorption-line systems are investigated in the context of 'cold dark matter' cosmological models. Particles in 'particle-mesh' N-body simulations are interpreted as absorbing clouds at epochs corresponding to mean redshifts, z, of 0.0, 1.25, and 3.0. The velocity correlation function for absorbing clouds is found by passing lines-of-sight through the systems and computing velocity differences for those particles which lie close to the lines. It depends strongly on z and Omega but only weakly, if at all, on the number density, diameter or mass of the clouds. Two interpretations are possible: (1) the heavy element absorption systems are associated with galaxies which are an unbiased sample of the mass distribution in an Omega(0) = 0.2 universe or (2) the Lyman-alpha absorbers are an unbiased sample of the mass in an Omega(0) = 1 universe and the heavy-element absorption systems, like galaxies, are more strongly clustered than the mass.