2001ApJ...549..770E

We present the results of a series of imaging and spectroscopic observations aimed at identifying and studying the galaxy responsible for the z_abs=3.38639 damped Lyα system in the z_em=3.61 quasar Q0201+1120. We find that the damped Lyα systems (DLA) is part of a concentration of matter that includes at least four galaxies (probably many more) over linear comoving dimensions greater than 5 h^–1 Mpc. The absorber may be a 0.7L* galaxy at an impact parameter of 15 h^–1 kpc, but follow-up spectroscopy is still required for positive identification. The gas is turbulent, with many absorption components distributed over ∼270 km.s^–1 and a large spin temperature, T_s≳4000 K. The metallicity is relatively high for this redshift, Z_DLA≃1/20 Z_☉. From consideration of the relative ratios of elements that have different nucleosynthetic timescales, it would appear that the last major episode of star formation in this DLA occurred at z≳4.3, more than ∼500 Myr prior to the time when we observe it.