We discuss new high-resolution ( 6.7 km/s ) spectra of the associated absorption lines ( AALs ) in the radio-loud quasar 3C 191 .
The measured AALs have ionizations ranging from Mg I to N V , and multi-component profiles that are blueshifted by \sim 400 to \sim 1400 km/s relative to the quasar ’ s broad emission lines .
Excited-state absorption lines of Si II ^ { * } and C II ^ { * } imply volume densities of \sim 300 cm ^ { -3 } and a nominal distance from the quasar of 28 kpc ( assuming photoionization ) .
The total column density is N _ { H } \sim 2 \times 10 ^ { 20 } cm ^ { -2 } .
Surprisingly , the absorber only partially covers the quasar emission source along our line of sight .
We propose a model for the absorber in which pockets of dense neutral gas are surrounded by bigger clouds of generally lower density and higher ionization .
This outflowing material might be leftover from a blowout associated with a nuclear starburst , the onset of quasar activity , or a past broad absorption line ( BAL ) wind phase .