The Intergalactic and Circumgalactic Medium surrounding Star-Forming Galaxies at Redshifts 2 < z < 3

Abstract

We present measurements of the spatial distribution, kinematics, and physical properties of gas in the circumgalactic medium (CGM) of 2.0 Chapter 2 of this thesis focuses on HI surrounding high-z star-forming galaxies drawn from the Keck Baryonic Structure Survey (KBSS). The KBSS is a unique spectroscopic survey of the distant universe designed to explore the details of the connection between galaxies and intergalactic baryons within the same survey volumes. The KBSS combines high-quality background QSO spectroscopy with large densely-sampled galaxy redshift surveys to probe the CGM at scales of ∼50 kpc to a few Mpc. Based on these data, Chapter 2 presents the first quantitative measurements of the distribution, column density, kinematics, and absorber line widths of neutral hydrogen surrounding high-z star-forming galaxies. Chapter 3 focuses on the thermal properties of the diffuse IGM. This analysis relies on measurements of the ∼6000 absorber line widths to constrain the thermal and turbulent velocities of absorbing clouds. A positive correlation between the column density of HI and the minimum line width is recovered and implies a temperature-density relation within the low-density IGM for which higher-density regions are hotter, as is predicted by simple theoretical arguments. Chapter 4 presents new measurements of the opacity of the IGM and CGM to hydrogen-ionizing photons. The chapter begins with a revised measurement of the HI column density distribution based on this new absorption line catalog that, due to the inclusion of high-order Lyman lines, provides the first statistically robust measurement of the frequency of absorbers with HI column densities 14 ≲ log(NHI/cm-2) ≲ 17.2. Also presented are the first measurements of the column density distribution of HI within the CGM (50 This thesis concludes with a brief discussion of work in progress focused on understanding the distribution of metals within the CGM of KBSS galaxies. Appendix B discusses my contributions to the MOSFIRE instrumentation project.