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arXiv 0812.2856astro-ph
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高红移金属I.:z > 5.3时C IV的下降

High Redshift Metals I.: The Decline of C IV at z > 5.3

George D. Becker, Michael Rauch, Wallace L. W. Sargent

摘要:

我们提出的结果,从我们的搜索C IV在星系际介质中的红移z=5.3-6.0。我们用Keck/NIRSPEC中阶梯光栅模式观测了4个z~6类星体。这些数据是在这些红移下寻找C IV最敏感的,在柱密度log(N_{CIV})=13.4时完成了50%。我们在四条视线范围内都没有发现C4系统。考虑到我们的完整性,这转化为在13.0 < log(N_{CIV})< 15.0的范围内CIV吸收剂的数密度从z~2-4.5下降至少4.4倍(95%置信度),其中数密度相对恒定。我们使用我们的检测的缺乏来设置在z=5.3-6.0处的柱密度分布的斜率和归一化的限制。C IV在这些红移处的快速演化表明,数密度的降低可能主要是由于电离效应,在这种情况下,z~4.5 IGM中的许多金属可能已经在z~5.3处就位,但处于较低的电离状态。在我们的数据中缺乏弱系统,加上沿着至少一个其他视线存在强的C IV吸收体,进一步表明z~6 IGM的富集和/或电离状态可能存在大尺度变化,或者这些红移的C IV吸收体与罕见的紫外明亮的恒星形成星系有关。

英文摘要:

We present the results from our search for C IV in the intergalactic medium at redshifts z=5.3-6.0. We have observed four z~6 QSOs with Keck/NIRSPEC in echelle mode. The data are the most sensitive yet taken to search for C IV at these redshifts, being 50% complete at column densities log(N_{CIV})=13.4. We find no C IV systems in any of the four sightlines. Taking into account our completeness, this translates into a decline in the number density of C IV absorbers in the range 13.0 < log(N_{CIV}) < 15.0 of at least a factor 4.4 (95% confidence) from z~2-4.5, where the number density is relatively constant. We use our lack of detections to set limits on the slope and normalization of the column density distribution at z=5.3-6.0. The rapid evolution of C IV at these redshifts suggests that the decrease in the number density may largely be due to ionization effects, in which case many of the metals in the z~4.5 IGM could already be in place at z~5.3, but in a lower ionization state. The lack of weak systems in our data, combined with the presence of strong C IV absorbers along at least one other sightline, further suggests that there may be large-scale variations in the enrichment and/or ionization state of the z~6 IGM, or that C IV absorbers at these redshifts are associated with rare, UV-bright star-forming galaxies.

机构、总结、中文摘要均由AI分析而来,可能存在错误,请以论文正文为准。

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