Splittings in quasar absorption lines

It is shown that the apparent constancy of the splitting between quasar absorption lines observed by Boksenberg and Sargent could be understood if the typical velocity in the absorbing material were somewhat less than the observing resolution (estimated to be 100 km s-1). If this interpretation were correct, then there should be many more redshifts that are split with velocity separations that are less than 100 km s-1 than have been so far observed at velocity separations of the order of 150 close to, or very far away from, the quasar. Some results are presented for a specific model in which the splittings are supposed due to absorption in halos or clouds surrounding galaxies or small groups of galaxies and some tests of this model are suggested. The model parameters are consistent with recent radio observations of H i clouds or halos that extend far from their parent galaxies