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arXiv 0806.2866astro-ph
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低红移O VI吸收体的性质和起源

The Nature and Origin of Low-Redshift O VI Absorbers

Benjamin D. Oppenheimer, Romeel A. Davé

摘要:

在类星体吸收线谱中观测到的OVI离子是研究低红移(z<0.5)星系际介质(IGM)中宇宙金属分布的最容易的示踪剂。我们探索的性质和起源的O VI吸收宇宙流体动力学模拟,包括银河系外流。我们认为电离背景的变化,非平衡电离和冷却,均匀的金属,和小尺度(亚分辨率)湍流的影响。我们的主要结果是:1)IGMO VI在T= 10^(4.2+/-0.2)K时主要是光电离的;一个关键的原因是,在给定的密度下,OVI吸收剂优先跟踪IGM的过富集区域,这增强了金属线冷却,使得吸收剂可以在哈勃时间内冷却。因此,O VI不是WHIM的好跟踪器。2)预测的OVI属性适合观测值,只有当子分辨率湍流被添加。所需的湍流随着OVI吸收体强度的增加而增加,使得更强的吸收体从更近的流出物中产生,其中湍流耗散在哈勃时间的量级上。湍流的数量与IGM和星系晕中观察到的其他湍流例子一致。3)被O VI和H I追踪的金属并不追踪完全相同的重子,而是存在于相同的大尺度结构中。在我们的模拟中再现了观察到的对齐统计。4)光致电离的O VI在各种环境中都能追踪到气体,虽然通常最接近约0.1L* 的星系,但与最近的星系没有直接联系。较弱的O VI成分可以追溯到一些最古老的宇宙金属。5)非常强的吸收体更有可能被碰撞电离,追踪星系晕内或附近最近的富集(<2 Gyr)。

英文摘要:

The O VI ion observed in quasar absorption line spectra is the most accessible tracer of the cosmic metal distribution in the low redshift (z<0.5) intergalactic medium (IGM). We explore the nature and origin of O VI absorbers using cosmological hydrodynamic simulations including galactic outflows. We consider the effects of ionization background variations, non-equilibrium ionization and cooling, uniform metallicity, and small-scale (sub-resolution) turbulence. Our main results are 1) IGM O VI is predominantly photo-ionized with T= 10^(4.2+/-0.2) K. A key reason for this is that O VI absorbers preferentially trace over-enriched regions of the IGM at a given density, which enhances metal-line cooling such that absorbers can cool within a Hubble time. As such, O VI is not a good tracer of the WHIM. 2) The predicted O VI properties fit observables only if sub-resolution turbulence is added. The required turbulence increases with O VI absorber strength such that stronger absorbers arise from more recent outflows with turbulence dissipating on the order of a Hubble time. The amount of turbulence is consistent with other examples of turbulence observed in the IGM and galactic halos. 3) Metals traced by O VI and H I do not trace exactly the same baryons, but reside in the same large-scale structure. Observed alignment statistics are reproduced in our simulations. 4) Photo-ionized O VI traces gas in a variety of environments, and is not directly associated with the nearest galaxy, though is typically nearest to ~0.1L* galaxies. Weaker O VI components trace some of the oldest cosmic metals. 5) Very strong absorbers are more likely to be collisionally ionized, tracing more recent enrichment (<2 Gyr) within or near galactic halos.

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