In this paper we analyze the kinematics, chemistry, and physical properties of a sample of the most metal-poor damped Lyman-alpha systems (DLAs), to uncover their links to modern-day galaxies. We present evidence that the DLA population as a whole exhibits a `knee' in the relative abundances of the alpha-capture and Fe-peak elements when the metallicity is [Fe/H] ~ -2.0, assuming that Zn traces the build-up of Fe-peak elements. In this respect, the chemical evolution of DLAs is clearly different from that experienced by Milky Way halo stars, but resembles that of dwarf spheroidal galaxies in the Local Group. We also find a close correspondence between the kinematics of Local Group dwarf galaxies and of high redshift metal-poor DLAs, which further strengthens this connection. On the basis of such similarities, we propose that the most metal-poor DLAs provide us with a unique opportunity to directly study the dwarf galaxy population more than ten billion years in the past, at a time when many dwarf galaxies were forming the bulk of their stars. To this end, we have measured some of the key physical properties of the DLA gas, including their neutral gas mass, size, kinetic temperature, density, and turbulence. We find that metal-poor DLAs contain a warm neutral medium with T_gas ~ 9600 K predominantly held up by thermal pressure. Furthermore, all of the DLAs in our sample exhibit a subsonic turbulent Mach number, implying that the gas distribution is largely smooth. These results are among the first empirical descriptions of the environments where the first few generations of stars may have formed in the Universe.
Statistical properties of damped Lyman-alpha systems from Sloan Digital Sky Survey DR12
我们提出了阻尼莱曼- $α$吸收体（DLAs）的统计特性的新估计。我们计算了$z>2$处的列密度分布函数、线密度$\mathrm{d}N/\mathrm{d}X$和中性氢密度$Ω_\mathrm{DLA}$。我们的估计来自加内特2016年的DLA目录，该目录使用SDSS-III DR 12类星体光谱调查。这个目录提供了一个给定的光谱包含DLA的概率，允许我们使用即使是最嘈杂的数据，而不会使我们的结果产生偏差，从而大大增加了我们的样本量。我们在$95\%$置信度下测量所有列密度$N_\mathrm{HI} < 5\times 10^{22}$ cm $^{-2}$的非零列密度分布函数。我们在$z>4$从$\mathrm{d}N/\mathrm{d}X$和$Ω_\mathrm{DLA}$的SDSS进行了首次测量。我们发现，我们的结果是不敏感的光谱的信噪比，但有一个残留的依赖类星体红移$z<2.5$，这可能是由于在我们的分析中剩余的系统。
The explosion energy of early stellar populations: The Fe-peak element ratios in low metallicity damped Lyman-alpha systems
铁峰元素（钛锌）在最低金属丰度的相对丰度与核心坍缩超新星爆炸的物理学密切相关。以25个贫金属阻尼莱曼α体系为样本，研究了铁峰元素比值随金属丰度的变化趋势。对于25种DLA中的9种，可以从检测到的吸收线确定Ti、Cr、Co、Ni、Zn/Fe丰度比中的一种或多种的直接测量值（或有用的上限）。对于其余的系统（没有检测），我们设计了一种新的形式的光谱叠加估计典型的铁峰元素比的DLA人口在这个金属丰度制度。我们比较这些数据类似的测量贫金属恒星的星系晕和详细的计算爆炸核合成在无金属恒星。我们的结论是，我们样本中的大多数DLA都是由那些在核心坍缩超新星爆炸时释放能量小于1.2 x 10^51尔格的恒星富集的。最后，我们讨论了当30米级望远镜出现时，测量Fe/H < 1/1000太阳的阻尼莱曼α系统中Fe峰元素比的令人兴奋的前景。只有到那时，我们才能确定第一批恒星的超新星释放的能量。
