The VLT LBG Redshift Survey - II. Interactions between galaxies and the IGM at z∼ 3

We have measured redshifts for 243 z≈ 3 quasars in nine Very Large Telescope (VLT) Visible Imaging and Multi-Object Spectrograph (VIMOS) Lyman-break galaxy (LBG) redshift survey areas, each of which is centred on a known bright quasar. Using the spectra of these quasars, we measure the cross-correlation between neutral hydrogen gas causing the Lyα forest and 1020 LBGs at z≈ 3. We find an increase in neutral hydrogen absorption within ≈5 h −1 Mpc of a galaxy in agreement with the results of Adelberger et al. The Lyα-LBG cross-correlation can be described by a power law on scales larger than 3 h −1 Mpc. When galaxy velocity dispersions are taken into account, our results at smaller scales (