Outflowing atomic and molecular gas at z ~ 0.67 towards 1504 + 377

We report the detection of OH 1667-MHz and wide HI 21-cm absorption at z ~ 0.67 towards the red quasar 1504 + 377, with the Green Bank Telescope and the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope. The HI 21-cm absorption extends over a velocity range of ~600kms^-1 blueward of the quasar redshift (z = 0.674), with the new OH 1667-MHz absorption component at ~-430kms^-1, nearly coincident with earlier detections of millimetre-wave absorption at z ~ 0.6715. The atomic and molecular absorption appear to arise from a fast gas outflow from the quasar, with a mass outflow rate and a molecular hydrogen fraction . The radio structure of 1504 + 377 is consistent with the outflow arising as a result of a jet-cloud interaction, followed by rapid cooling of the cloud material. The observed ratio of HCO⁺ and OH column densities is ~20 times higher than typical values in Galactic and high-z absorbers. This could arise because of small-scale structure in the outflowing gas on sub-parsec scales, which would also explain the observed variability in the HI 21-cm line.