scholarly journals Thermal Instabilities and Shattering in the High-redshift WHIM: Convergence Criteria and Implications for Low-metallicity Strong H i Absorbers

2021 ◽  
Vol 923 (1) ◽  
pp. 115
Author(s):  
Nir Mandelker ◽  
Frank C. van den Bosch ◽  
Volker Springel ◽  
Freeke van de Voort ◽  
Joseph N. Burchett ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Intergalactic Medium ◽  
High Redshift ◽  
Cell Mass ◽  
Necessary Condition ◽  
Convergence Criteria ◽  
Gas Cell ◽  
Cosmological Simulations ◽  
Depth Study ◽  
Low Metallicity ◽  
Accretion Shock

Abstract Using a novel suite of cosmological simulations zooming in on a megaparsec-scale intergalactic sheet (pancake) at z ∼ (3–5), we conduct an in-depth study of the thermal properties and H i content of the warm-hot intergalactic medium (WHIM) at those redshifts. The simulations span nearly three orders of magnitude in gas cell mass, ∼(7.7 × 106–1.5 × 104)M ⊙, one of the highest-resolution simulations of such a large patch of the intergalactic medium (IGM) to date. At z ∼ 5, a strong accretion shock develops around the pancake. Gas in the postshock region proceeds to cool rapidly, triggering thermal instabilities and generating a multiphase medium. We find the mass, morphology, and distribution of H i in the WHIM to all be unconverged, even at our highest resolution. Interestingly, the lack of convergence is more severe for the less-dense, metal-poor intrapancake medium (IPM) in between filaments and far outside galaxies. With increased resolution, the IPM develops a shattered structure with most of the H i in kiloparsec-scale clouds. From our lowest-to-highest resolution, the covering fraction of metal-poor (Z < 10−3 Z ⊙) Lyman-limit systems (N H I > 1017.2cm−2) in the z ∼ 4 IPM increases from ∼(3–15)%, while that of metal-poor damped Lyα absorbers (N H I > 1020cm−2) increases from ∼(0.2–0.6)%, with no sign of convergence. We find that a necessary condition for the formation of a multiphase shattered structure is resolving the cooling length, l cool = c s t cool, at T ∼ 105 K. If this is unresolved, gas “piles up” at T ≲ 105 K and further cooling becomes very inefficient. We conclude that state-of-the-art cosmological simulations are still unable to resolve the multiphase structure of the WHIM, with potentially far-reaching implications.

scholarly journals Self-consistent proto-globular cluster formation in cosmological simulations of high-redshift galaxies

2020 ◽  
Vol 493 (3) ◽  
pp. 4315-4332 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiangcheng Ma ◽  
Michael Y Grudić ◽  
Eliot Quataert ◽  
Philip F Hopkins ◽  
Claude-André Faucher-Giguère ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
High Pressure ◽  
Star Formation ◽  
High Redshift ◽  
Cluster Formation ◽  
Mass Function ◽  
Cosmological Simulations ◽  
High Redshift Galaxies ◽  
Cluster Mass ◽  
Formation Efficiency ◽  
Redshift Galaxies

ABSTRACT We report the formation of bound star clusters in a sample of high-resolution cosmological zoom-in simulations of z ≥ 5 galaxies from the Feedback In Realistic Environments project. We find that bound clusters preferentially form in high-pressure clouds with gas surface densities over $10^4\, \mathrm{ M}_{\odot }\, {\rm pc}^{-2}$, where the cloud-scale star formation efficiency is near unity and young stars born in these regions are gravitationally bound at birth. These high-pressure clouds are compressed by feedback-driven winds and/or collisions of smaller clouds/gas streams in highly gas-rich, turbulent environments. The newly formed clusters follow a power-law mass function of dN/dM ∼ M−2. The cluster formation efficiency is similar across galaxies with stellar masses of ∼107–$10^{10}\, \mathrm{ M}_{\odot }$ at z ≥ 5. The age spread of cluster stars is typically a few Myr and increases with cluster mass. The metallicity dispersion of cluster members is ∼0.08 dex in $\rm [Z/H]$ and does not depend on cluster mass significantly. Our findings support the scenario that present-day old globular clusters (GCs) were formed during relatively normal star formation in high-redshift galaxies. Simulations with a stricter/looser star formation model form a factor of a few more/fewer bound clusters per stellar mass formed, while the shape of the mass function is unchanged. Simulations with a lower local star formation efficiency form more stars in bound clusters. The simulated clusters are larger than observed GCs due to finite resolution. Our simulations are among the first cosmological simulations that form bound clusters self-consistently in a wide range of high-redshift galaxies.

scholarly journals The Low-redshift Intergalactic Medium

1999 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 95-99 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Michael Shull ◽  
Steven V. Penton ◽  
John T. Stocke
Keyword(s):  
Galaxy Formation ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Intergalactic Medium ◽  
Hubble Space Telescope ◽  
Characteristic Size ◽  
Baryon Density ◽  
Frequency Space ◽  
Physical Conditions ◽  
Low Metallicity ◽  
Set Up

AbstractThe low-redshift Lyα forest of absorption lines provides a probe of large-scale baryonic structures in the intergalactic medium, some of which may be remnants of physical conditions set up during the epoch of galaxy formation. We discuss our recent Hubble Space Telescope (HST) observations and interpretation of low-z Lyα clouds toward nearby Seyferts and QSOs, including their frequency, space density, estimated mass, association with galaxies, and contribution to Ωb. Our HST/GHRS detections of ∼ 70 Lyα absorbers with Nhi ≥ 1012·6 cm−2 along 11 sightlines covering pathlength Δ(cz) = 114,000 km s−1 show f (>Nhi) α Nhi−0·63±0·04 and a line frequency dN/dz = 200 ± 40 for Nhi > 1012·6 cm−2 (one every 1500 km s−1 of redshift). A group of strong absorbers toward PKS 2155–304 may be associated with gas (400–800) kpc from four large galaxies, with low metallicity (≤0·003 solar) and D/H ≤ 2 × 10−4. At low-z, we derive a metagalactic ionising radiation field from AGN of J0 = × 10−23 erg cm−2 s−1 Hz−1 sr−1 and a Lyα-forest baryon density Ωb =(0·008 ± 0·004)[J−23N14b100]½ for clouds of characteristic size b = (100 kpc)b100.

scholarly journals The Dust Impact on the Intergalactic Medium

2004 ◽  
Vol 217 ◽  
pp. 114-115
Author(s):  
L. Montier ◽  
M. Giard
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Intergalactic Medium ◽  
High Redshift ◽  
Dust Emission ◽  
The Other ◽  
Heating And Cooling ◽  
Cooling Agent ◽  
Small Scales ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Universe

Recent observations at low and high redshift seem to confirm the presence of dust at very low abundances in the InterGalactic Medium (IGM) and especially in the IntraCluster Medium (ICM). We have studied the impact of this dust on the IGM, in terms of heating and cooling. on one hand, with an analytical model of dust emission, we have proved that the dust can be considered as the dominant cooling agent of the ICM at large scale, when the temperature is greater than T = 107 K. on the other hand, with a strong UV Background and a low temperature (Te ≤ 105 K), dust grains become an efficient heating agent of the IGM. These two opposite effects may have played an important role regarding structure formation of the Universe at large and small scales.

scholarly journals Abundances in the High-redshift Intergalactic Medium

2005 ◽  
Vol 1 (S228) ◽  
pp. 557-568
Author(s):  
Joop Schaye ◽  
Anthony Aguirre
Keyword(s):  
Intergalactic Medium ◽  
High Redshift

scholarly journals The star formation process in the Magellanic Clouds

2008 ◽  
Vol 4 (S256) ◽  
pp. 191-202
Author(s):  
J. M. Oliveira
Keyword(s):  
Star Formation ◽  
High Redshift ◽  
Critical Density ◽  
Mass Function ◽  
Magellanic Clouds ◽  
Initial Mass Function ◽  
Star Forming ◽  
Bridge Span ◽  
Individual Star ◽  
Low Metallicity

AbstractThe Magellanic Clouds offer unique opportunities to study star formation both on the global scales of an interacting system of gas-rich galaxies, as well as on the scales of individual star-forming clouds. The interstellar media of the Small and Large Magellanic Clouds and their connecting bridge, span a range in (low) metallicities and gas density. This allows us to study star formation near the critical density and gain an understanding of how tidal dwarfs might form; the low metallicity of the SMC in particular is typical of galaxies during the early phases of their assembly, and studies of star formation in the SMC provide a stepping stone to understand star formation at high redshift where these processes can not be directly observed. In this review, I introduce the different environments encountered in the Magellanic System and compare these with the Schmidt-Kennicutt law and the predicted efficiencies of various chemo-physical processes. I then concentrate on three aspects that are of particular importance: the chemistry of the embedded stages of star formation, the Initial Mass Function, and feedback effects from massive stars and its ability to trigger further star formation.

scholarly journals Extremely metal-poor galaxies with HST/COS: laboratories for models of low-metallicity massive stars and high-redshift galaxies

2019 ◽  
Vol 488 (3) ◽  
pp. 3492-3506 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Senchyna ◽  
Daniel P Stark ◽  
Jacopo Chevallard ◽  
Stéphane Charlot ◽  
Tucker Jones ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Massive Stars ◽  
High Redshift ◽  
Formation Rate ◽  
Uv Spectra ◽  
High Redshift Galaxies ◽  
Star Forming ◽  
High Ionization ◽  
Moderate Resolution ◽  
Low Metallicity ◽  
Nearby Galaxies

Abstract Ultraviolet (UV) observations of local star-forming galaxies have begun to establish an empirical baseline for interpreting the rest-UV spectra of reionization-era galaxies. However, existing high-ionization emission line measurements at z &gt; 6 ($\rm W_{C\, {\scriptscriptstyle IV},0}{} \gtrsim 20$ Å) are uniformly stronger than observed locally ($\rm W_{C\, {\scriptscriptstyle IV},0}{} \lesssim 2$ Å), likely due to the relatively high metallicities (Z/Z$\odot$ &gt; 0.1) typically probed by UV surveys of nearby galaxies. We present new HST/COS spectra of six nearby (z &lt; 0.01) extremely metal-poor galaxies (XMPs, Z/Z$\odot$ ≲ 0.1) targeted to address this limitation and provide constraints on the highly uncertain ionizing spectra powered by low-metallicity massive stars. Our data reveal a range of spectral features, including one of the most prominent nebular C iv doublets yet observed in local star-forming systems and strong He ii emission. Using all published UV observations of local XMPs to date, we find that nebular C iv emission is ubiquitous in very high specific star formation rate systems at low metallicity, but still find equivalent widths smaller than those measured in individual lensed systems at z &gt; 6. Our moderate-resolution HST/COS data allow us to conduct an analysis of the stellar winds in a local nebular C iv emitter, which suggests that some of the tension with z &gt; 6 data may be due to existing local samples not yet probing sufficiently high α/Fe abundance ratios. Our results indicate that C iv emission can play a crucial role in the JWST and ELT era by acting as an accessible signpost of very low metallicity (Z/Z$\odot$ &lt; 0.1) massive stars in assembling reionization-era systems.

scholarly journals Predicting FIR lines from simulated galaxies

2020 ◽  
Vol 496 (4) ◽  
pp. 5160-5175 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alessandro Lupi ◽  
Andrea Pallottini ◽  
Andrea Ferrara ◽  
Stefano Bovino ◽  
Stefano Carniani ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
State Of The Art ◽  
High Redshift ◽  
Line Emission ◽  
Far Infrared ◽  
Emission Lines ◽  
Cosmological Simulations ◽  
High Redshift Galaxies ◽  
Emission Models ◽  
Excellent Tool ◽  
Non Equilibrium

ABSTRACT Far-infrared (FIR) emission lines are a powerful tool to investigate the properties of the interstellar medium, especially in high-redshift galaxies, where ALMA observations have provided unprecedented information. Interpreting such data with state-of-the-art cosmological simulations post-processed with cloudy, has provided insights on the internal structure and gas dynamics of these systems. However, no detailed investigation of the consistency and uncertainties of this kind of analysis has been performed to date. Here, we compare different approaches to estimate FIR line emission from state-of-the-art cosmological simulations, either with cloudy or with on-the-fly non-equilibrium chemistry. We find that [C ii]158μ predictions are robust to the model variations we explored. [O i] emission lines, that typically trace colder and denser gas relative to [C ii]158μ, are instead model dependent, as these lines are strongly affected by the thermodynamic state of the gas and non-equilibrium photoionization effects. For the same reasons, [O i] lines represent an excellent tool to constrain emission models, hence future observations targeting these lines will be crucial.

scholarly journals Transverse and longitudinal correlation functions in the intergalactic medium from 32 close pairs of high-redshift quasars★

2006 ◽  
Vol 370 (4) ◽  
pp. 1804-1816 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. Coppolani ◽  
P. Petitjean ◽  
F. Stoehr ◽  
E. Rollinde ◽  
C. Pichon ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Correlation Functions ◽  
Intergalactic Medium ◽  
High Redshift ◽  
Longitudinal Correlation ◽  
Close Pairs
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