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Article Contents

ABSTRACT

1.INTRODUCTION

2.OBSERVATIONAL APPROACHES
2.1.Technical Possibilities, Observational Constraints
2.2.Low Resolution Spectroscopy: Mean Absorption
2.3.Intermediate Resolution Spectroscopy: Line Counting
2.4.High Resolution Spectroscopy: Voigt Profile Decomposition

3.OBSERVATIONAL RESULTS
3.1.Redshift Evolution of the Lyman Alpha Forest
3.2.The Proximity Effect: Measuring the Ionizing UV Background
3.3.Absorption Line Widths
3.4.The Column Density Distribution
3.5.Spatial Structure along the Line of Sight: Clustering and Voids
3.6.Spatial Structure Across the Sky: Multiple Lines of Sight

4.THE FIRST GENERATION OF MODELS
4.1.Lyalpha Clouds confined by the Pressure of an Intercloud Medium
4.2.Gravitational Confinement: Selfgravity
4.3.Gravitational Confinement: Clouds Dominated by Hot Dark Matter Gravity
4.4.Gravitational Confinement: Cold Dark Matter Minihalos

5.THE COSMOLOGICAL SIGNIFICANCE OF THE LYMAN ALPHA FOREST
5.1.Hydrodynamic Simulations of the Lyalpha Forest
5.2.The Lyalpha Forest as a Cosmological Laboratory

6.THE LYMAN ALPHA FOREST AND GALAXIES
6.1.The Low Redshift Lyman Alpha Forest
6.2.Metal Enrichment In The High Redshift Lyalpha Forest

7.THE HELIUM LYMAN ALPHA FOREST

8.PROSPECTS

REFERENCES