Damped Ly{alpha} systems from SDSS DR16Q

The DLAs were identified using the convolutional neural network of Parks et al. (2018MNRAS.476.1151P). A total of 117458 absorber candidates were found with 2<=z_DLA_<=5.5 and 19.7<=log(N(H_I_)/cm^-2^)<=22, including 57136 DLA candidates with log(N(H_I_)/cm^-2^)>=20.3.

Mock quasar spectra were used to estimate the DLA detection efficiency and the purity of the resulting catalog. Restricting the quasar sample to bright forests, i.e., those with mean forest fluxes f_{lambda}_>2x10^-19^W/m^2^/nm, the efficiency and purity are greater than 90% for DLAs with column densities in the range 20.1<=log(N(H_I_)/cm^-2^)<=22.