The 2dF QSO Redshift Survey - VIII. Absorption systems in the 10k catalogue

We examine the highest signal-to-noise ratio spectra from the 2dF QSO Redshift Survey (2QZ) 10k release and identify over 100 new low-ionization heavy-element absorbers: damped Lyman α (DLA) candidates suitable for higher-resolution follow-up observations. These absorption systems map the spatial distribution of high-z metals in exactly the same volumes as the foreground 2QZ QSOs themselves sample and hence the 2QZ gives us the unique opportunity to compare directly the two tracers of large-scale structure. We examine the cross-correlation of the two populations to see how they are relatively clustered, and, by considering the colour of the QSOs, detect a small amount of dust in these metal systems.