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arXiv 0804.4474astro-ph
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星系形成模拟中的阻尼Lyman α系统

Damped Lyman Alpha Systems in Galaxy Formation Simulations

Andrew Pontzen, Fabio Governato, Max Pettini, C. M. Booth, Greg Stinson, James Wadsley, Alyson Brooks, Thomas Quinn, Martin Haehnelt

摘要:

在最近一系列高分辨率星系形成模拟中,我们研究了z=3阻尼莱曼α吸收体(DLAs)的分布。这些模拟很有趣,因为它们在z=0时形成了迄今为止最真实的盘状星系。在我们的研究中没有可用的自由参数:这些参数已经被物理和z=0的观测约束所固定,因此我们的研究提供了一个真正的一致性检验。DLAs在星系形成中的确切作用仍有争议,但它们提供了一些强有力的约束,我们模拟的束缚系统的性质在z=3,因为它们的中性H I密度,运动学,金属丰度和估计的恒星形成活动的耦合信息。我们的结果,没有任何参数调整,密切配合所观察到的发病率和列密度分布的DLAs。我们的模拟是第一个再现金属丰度分布(中位数为Z_{DLA} = Z_{solar} /20),而不调用观测不支持的机制,如尘埃偏置。这是特别令人鼓舞的,因为这些模拟之前已经显示出具有现实的0<z<2恒星质量-金属丰度关系。此外,我们看到视线金属丰度和低离子速度宽度之间有很强的正相关性,其归一化和斜率接近于最近的观测结果。然而,我们有些低估了观察到的高速宽度系统的数量,这种分歧的严重程度是最近DLA重点研究。到z=0时,形成DLAs的大多数z=3的中性气体已经转化为恒星,与粗略的物理预期一致。[摘要]

英文摘要:

We investigate the population of z=3 damped Lyman alpha absorbers (DLAs) in a recent series of high resolution galaxy formation simulations. The simulations are of interest because they form at z=0 some of the most realistic disk galaxies to date. No free parameters are available in our study: these have been fixed by physical and z=0 observational constraints, and thus our study provides a genuine consistency test. The precise role of DLAs in galaxy formation remains in debate, but they provide a number of strong constraints on the nature of our simulated bound systems at z=3 because of their coupled information on neutral H I densities, kinematics, metallicity and estimates of star formation activity. Our results, without any parameter-tuning, closely match the observed incidence rate and column density distributions of DLAs. Our simulations are the first to reproduce the distribution of metallicities (with a median of Z_{DLA} = Z_{solar}/20) without invoking observationally unsupported mechanisms such as dust biasing. This is especially encouraging given that these simulations have previously been shown to have a realistic 0<z<2 stellar mass-metallicity relation. Additionally, we see a strong positive correlation between sightline metallicity and low-ion velocity width, the normalization and slope of which comes close to matching recent observational results. However, we somewhat underestimate the number of observed high velocity width systems; the severity of this disagreement is comparable to other recent DLA focused studies. By z=0 the majority of the z=3 neutral gas forming the DLAs has been converted into stars, in agreement with rough physical expectations. [Abridged]

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