UV Background Research Articles

Long Dark Gaps in the Lyβ Forest at z < 6: Evidence of Ultra-late Reionization from XQR-30 Spectra

We present a new investigation of the intergalactic medium near reionization using dark gaps in the Lyβ forest. With its lower optical depth, Lyβ offers a potentially more sensitive probe to any remaining neutral gas compared to the commonly used Lyα line. We identify dark gaps in the Lyβ forest using spectra of 42 QSOs at z em > 5.5, including new data from the XQR-30 VLT Large Programme. Approximately 40% of these QSO spectra exhibit dark gaps longer than 10 h −1 Mpc at z ≃ 5.8. By comparing the results to predictions from simulations, we find that the data are broadly consistent both with models where fluctuations in the Lyα forest are caused solely by ionizing ultraviolet background fluctuations and with models that include large neutral hydrogen patches at z < 6 due to a late end to reionization. Of particular interest is a very long (L = 28 h −1 Mpc) and dark (τ eff ≳ 6) gap persisting down to z ≃ 5.5 in the Lyβ forest of the z = 5.85 QSO PSO J025−11. This gap may support late reionization models with a volume-weighted average neutral hydrogen fraction of 〈x H I〉 ≳ 5% by z = 5.6. Finally, we infer constraints on 〈x H I〉 over 5.5 ≲ z ≲ 6.0 based on the observed Lyβ dark gap length distribution and a conservative relationship between gap length and neutral fraction derived from simulations. We find 〈x H I〉 ≤ 0.05, 0.17, and 0.29 at z ≃ 5.55, 5.75, and 5.95, respectively. These constraints are consistent with models where reionization ends significantly later than z = 6.

Assuming Ionization Equilibrium and the Impact on the Lyα Forest Power Spectrum during the End of Reionization at 8 ≥ z ≥ 5

We explore how the assumption of ionization equilibrium modulates the modeled intergalactic medium at the end of the hydrogen epoch of reionization using the cosmological radiation hydrodynamic Technicolor Dawn simulation. In neutral and partially ionized regions where the metagalactic ultraviolet background is weak, the ionization timescale t ion ≡ Γ−1 exceeds the Hubble time. Assuming photoionization equilibrium in such regions artificially boosts the ionization rate, accelerating reionization. By contrast, the recombination time t rec < t ion in photoionized regions, with the result that assuming photoionization equilibrium artificially increases the neutral hydrogen fraction. Using snapshots in the range 8 ≥ z ≥ 5, we compare the predicted Lyα forest (LAF) flux power spectrum with and without the assumption of ionization equilibrium. Small scales (k > 0.1 rad s km−1) exhibit reduced power from 7 ≤ z ≤ 5.5 in the ionization equilibrium case, while larger scales are unaffected. This occurs for the same reasons: ionization equilibrium artificially suppresses the neutral fraction in self-shielded gas and boosts ionizations in voids, suppressing small-scale fluctuations in the ionization field. When the volume-averaged neutral fraction drops below 10−4, the signature of nonequilibrium ionizations on the LAF disappears. Comparing with recent observations indicates that these nonequilibrium effects are not yet observable in the LAF flux power spectrum.

Limits on non-canonical heating and turbulence in the intergalactic medium from the low redshift Lyman α forest

ABSTRACT We examine the column density distribution function (CDDF) and Doppler parameter distribution from hydrodynamical simulations and Cosmic Origins Spectrograph (COS) observations of the Ly α forest at redshift 0 ≤ z ≤ 0.2. Allowing for a factor of two uncertainty in the metagalactic H $\, \rm \scriptstyle I \, $ photoionization rate, our hydrodynamical simulations are in good agreement (1–1.5σ) with the shape and amplitude of the observed CDDF at H $\, \rm \scriptstyle I \, $ column densities $10^{13.3}\rm \, cm^{-2}\le N_{\rm H\,{\small I}}\le 10^{14.5}\rm \, cm^{-2}$. However, the Doppler widths of the simulated lines remain too narrow with respect to the COS data. We argue that invoking AGN feedback does not resolve this discrepancy. We also disfavour enhanced photoheating rates as a potential solution, as this requires an unphysically hard UV background spectrum. If instead appealing to a non-canonical source of heating, an additional specific heat injection of $u \lesssim 6.9\rm \, eV\, m_{\rm p}^{-1}$ is required at z ≲ 2.5 for gas that has $N_{\rm H\,{\small I}}\simeq 10^{13.5}\rm \, cm^{-2}$ by z = 0.1. Alternatively, there may be an unresolved line of sight turbulent velocity component of $v_{\rm turb}\lesssim 8.5\rm \, km\, s^{-1}(N_{\rm H\,{\small I}}/10^{13.5}\rm \, cm^{-2})^{0.21}$ for the coldest gas in the diffuse IGM.

He ii Lyα Transmission Spikes and Absorption Troughs in Eight High-resolution Spectra Probing the End of He ii Reionization

Abstract We present statistics of He ii Lyα transmission spikes and large-scale absorption troughs using archival high-resolution (R = λ/Δλ ≃ 12,500–18,000) far-UV spectra of eight He ii-transparent quasars obtained with the Cosmic Origins Spectrograph on the Hubble Space Telescope. The sample covers the redshift range 2.5 ≲ z ≲ 3.8, thereby probing the rapidly evolving He ii absorption at the end of He ii reionization epoch. The measured lengths of the troughs decrease dramatically from L ≳ 100 cMpc at z &gt; 3 to L ≃ 30 cMpc at z ∼ 2.7, signaling a significant progression of He ii reionization at these redshifts. Furthermore, unexpectedly long L ∼ 65 cMpc troughs detected at z ≃ 2.9 suggest that the UV background fluctuates at larger scales than predicted by current models. By comparing the measured incidence of transmission spikes to predictions from forward-modeled mock spectra created from the outputs of a (146 cMpc)3 optically thin Nyx hydrodynamical simulation employing different UV background models, we infer the redshift evolution of the He ii photoionization rate ΓHe II (z). The photoionization rate decreases with increasing redshift from ≃ 4.6 × 10−15 s−1 at z ≃ 2.6 to ≃ 1.2 × 10−15 s−1 at z ≃ 3.2, in agreement with previous inferences from the He ii effective optical depth, and following expected trends of current models of a fluctuating He ii-ionizing background.

Modeling Photoionized Turbulent Material in the Circumgalactic Medium. III. Effects of Corotation and Magnetic Fields

Abstract Absorption-line measurements of the circumgalactic medium (CGM) display a highly nonuniform distribution of lower ionization state species accompanied by more widespread higher ionization state material. This suggests that the CGM is a dynamic, multiphase medium, such as arises in the presence of turbulence. To better understand this evolution, we perform hydrodynamic and magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) simulations of the CGM surrounding Milky Way–like galaxies. In both cases, the CGM is initially in hydrostatic balance in a 1012 M ⊙ dark matter gravitational potential, and the simulations include rotation in the inner halo and turbulence that decreases radially. They also track ionizations, recombinations, and species-by-species radiative cooling in the presence of the redshift-zero UV background, employing the MAIHEM nonequilibrium chemistry package. We find that after 9 Gyr of evolution, the presence of a magnetic field leads to an overall hotter CGM, with cool gas in the center where magnetic pressure dominates. While the non-MHD run produces more cold clouds overall, we find similar Si iv/O vi and N v/O vi ratios between the MHD and non-MHD runs, which are both very different from their equilibrium values. The non-MHD halo develops cool, low angular momentum filaments above the central disk, in comparison to the MHD run that has more efficient angular momentum transport, especially for the cold gas, which forms a more ordered and extended disk late into its evolution.

RAMSES-RTZ: non-equilibrium metal chemistry and cooling coupled to on-the-fly radiation hydrodynamics

ABSTRACT Emission and absorption lines from elements heavier than helium (metals) represent one of our strongest probes of galaxy formation physics across nearly all redshifts accessible to observations. The vast majority of simulations that model these metal lines often assume either collisional or photoionization equilibrium, or a combination of the two. For the few simulations that have relaxed these assumptions, a redshift-dependent meta-galactic UV background or fixed spectrum is often used in the non-equilibrium photoionization calculation, which is unlikely to be accurate in the interstellar medium where the gas can self-shield, as well as in the high-redshift circumgalactic medium, where locally emitted radiation may dominate over the UV background. In this work, we relax this final assumption by coupling the ionization states of individual metals to the radiation hydrodynamics solver present in ramses-rt. Our chemical network follows radiative recombination, dielectronic recombination, collisional ionization, photoionization, and charge transfer, and we use the ionization states to compute non-equilibrium optically thin metal-line cooling. The fiducial model solves for the ionization states of C, N, O, Mg, Si, S, Fe, and Ne in addition to H, He, and H2, but can be easily extended for other ions. We provide interfaces to two different ODE solvers that are competitive in both speed and accuracy. The code has been benchmarked across a variety of gas conditions to reproduce results from cloudy when equilibrium is reached. We show an example isolated galaxy simulation with on-the-fly radiative transfer that demonstrates the utility of our code for translating between simulations and observations without the use of idealized photoionization models.

Forecasts for broad-band intensity mapping of the ultraviolet-optical background with CASTOR and SPHEREx

ABSTRACT Broad-band tomography statistically extracts the redshift distribution of frequency dependent emission from the cross-correlation of intensity maps with a reference catalog of galaxy tracers. We make forecasts for the performance of future all-sky UV experiments doing broad-band tomography. We consider the Cosmological Advanced Survey Telescope for Optical-UV Research (castor) and the Spectro-Photometer for the History of the Universe, Epoch of Reionization, and Ices Explorer (SPHEREx). The dominant uncertainty is from variability in the photometric zero-point, which scales with limiting magnitude and mirror size. With this scaling and assuming a galaxy number density characteristic of future spectroscopic data sets, we find that castor measures the UV background SED 2–10 times better than existing data. The applicable redshift range will expand from the current z &amp;lt; 1 to z ≈ 0–3 with castor and z = 5–9 with SPHEREx. We show that castor can provide competitive constraints on the EBL monopole to those available from galaxy number counts and direct measurement techniques. At high redshift especially, these results will help understand galaxy formation and reionization. Our modelling code and chains are publicly available.

HI and H2 gas evolution over cosmic times: ColdSIM

We present first results of cold cosmic gas evolution obtained through a set of state-of-the-art numerical simulations (ColdSIM). We model time-dependent atomic and molecular non-equilibrium chemistry coupled to hydrodynamics, star formation, feedback effects, various UV backgrounds as suggested by the recent literature, HI and H2 self-shielding, H2 dust grain catalysis, photoelectric heating and cosmic-ray heating. By means of such nonequilibriumcalculations we are finally able to reproduce the latest HI and H2 observational data. Consistently with available determinations, neutral-gas mass density parameter results around Ωneutral ∼ 10−3 and increases from lower to higher redshift (z). The molecular-gas mass density parameter shows peak values of ΩH2 ∼ 10−4, while expected H2 fractions can be as high as 50% of the cold gas mass at z ∼ 4-8, in line with the latest measurements from high-z galaxies. These values agree with observations up to z ∼ 7 and both HI and H2 trends are well reproduced by our non-equilibrium H2-based star formation modelling. Corresponding H2 depletion times remain below the Hubble time and comparable to the dynamical time at all epochs. This implies that non-equilibrium molecular cooling is efficient at driving cold-gas collapse in a variety of environments and since the first half Gyr. Our findings suggest that, besides HI, non-equilibrium H2 analyses are key probes for assessing cold gas and the role of UV background radiation.

Atomic and molecular gas from the epoch of reionisation down to redshift 2

Context. Cosmic gas makes up about 90% of the baryonic matter in the Universe and H2 molecule is the most tightly linked to star formation. Aims. In this work we study cold neutral gas, its H2 component at different epochs, and corresponding depletion times. Methods. We perform state-of-the-art hydrodynamic simulations that include time-dependent atomic and molecular non-equilibrium chemistry coupled to star formation, feedback effects, different UV backgrounds presented in the recent literature and a number of additional processes occurring during structure formation (COLDSIM). We predict gas evolution and contrast the mass density parameters and gas depletion timescales. We also investigate their relation to cosmic expansion in light of the latest infrared and (sub)millimetre observations in the redshift range 2 ≲ z ≲ 7. Results. By performing updated non-equilibrium chemistry calculations we are able to broadly reproduce the latest HI and H2 observations. We find neutral-gas mass density parameters Ωneutral ≃ 10−3 and increasing from lower to higher redshift, in agreement with available HI data. Because of the typically low metallicities during the epoch of reionisation, time-dependent H2 formation is mainly led by the H− channel in self-shielded gas, while H2 grain catalysis becomes important in locally enriched sites at any redshift. Ultraviolet (UV) radiation provides free electrons and facilitates H2 build-up while heating cold metal-poor environments. Resulting H2 fractions can be as high as ∼50% of the cold gas mass at z ∼ 4–8, in line with the latest measurements from high-redshift galaxies. The H2 mass density parameter increases with time until a plateau of ΩH2 ≃ 10−4 is reached. Quantitatively, we find agreement between the derived ΩH2 values and the observations up to z ∼ 7 and both HI and H2 trends are better reproduced by our non-equilibrium H2-based star formation modelling. The predicted gas depletion timescales decrease at lower z in the whole time interval considered, with H2 depletion times remaining below the Hubble time and comparable to the dynamical time at all z. This implies that non-equilibrium molecular cooling is efficient at driving cold-gas collapse in a broad variety of environments and has done so since very early cosmic epochs. While the evolution of chemical species is clearly affected by the details of the UV background and gas self shielding, the assumptions on the adopted initial mass function, different parameterizations of H2 dust grain catalysis, photoelectric heating, and cosmic-ray heating can affect the results in a non-trivial way. In the Appendix, we show detailed analyses of individual processes, as well as simple numerical parameterizations and fits to account for them. Conclusions. Our findings suggest that, in addition to HI, non-equilibrium H2 observations are pivotal probes for assessing cold-gas cosmic abundances and the role of UV background radiation at different epochs.

Chasing the Tail of Cosmic Reionization with Dark Gap Statistics in the Lyα Forest over 5 &lt; z &lt; 6

Abstract We present a new investigation of the intergalactic medium (IGM) near the end of reionization using “dark gaps” in the Lyα forest. Using spectra of 55 QSOs at z em &gt; 5.5, including new data from the XQR-30 VLT Large Programme, we identify gaps in the Lyα forest where the transmission averaged over 1 comoving h −1 Mpc bins falls below 5%. Nine ultralong (L &gt; 80 h −1 Mpc) dark gaps are identified at z &lt; 6. In addition, we quantify the fraction of QSO spectra exhibiting gaps longer than 30 h −1 Mpc, F 30, as a function of redshift. We measure F 30 ≃ 0.9, 0.6, and 0.15 at z = 6.0, 5.8, and 5.6, respectively, with the last of these long dark gaps persisting down to z ≃5.3. Comparing our results with predictions from hydrodynamical simulations, we find that the data are consistent with models wherein reionization extends significantly below redshift six. Models wherein the IGM is essentially fully reionized that retain large-scale fluctuations in the ionizing UV background at z ≲6 are also potentially consistent with the data. Overall, our results suggest that signatures of reionization in the form of islands of neutral hydrogen and/or large-scale fluctuations in the ionizing background remain present in the IGM until at least z ≃ 5.3.

Constraints on the End of Reionization from the Density Fields Surrounding Two Highly Opaque Quasar Sightlines

Abstract The observed large-scale scatter in Lyα opacity of the intergalactic medium at z &lt; 6 implies large fluctuations in the neutral hydrogen fraction that are unexpected long after reionization has ended. A number of models have emerged to explain these fluctuations that make testable predictions for the relationship between Lyα opacity and density. We present selections of z = 5.7 Lyα-emitting galaxies (LAEs) in the fields surrounding two highly opaque quasar sightlines with long Lyα troughs. The fields lie toward the z = 6.0 quasar ULAS J0148+0600, for which we reanalyze previously published results using improved photometric selection, and toward the z = 6.15 quasar SDSS J1250+3130, for which results are presented here for the first time. In both fields, we report a deficit of LAEs within 20 h −1 Mpc of the quasar. The association of highly opaque sightlines with galaxy underdensities in these two fields is consistent with models in which the scatter in Lyα opacity is driven by large-scale fluctuations in the ionizing UV background or by an ultra-late reionization that has not yet concluded at z = 5.7.

A Comparison of Circumgalactic Mg ii Absorption between the TNG50 Simulation and the MEGAFLOW Survey

Abstract The circumgalactic medium (CGM) contains information on gas flows around galaxies, such as accretion and supernova-driven winds, which are difficult to constrain from observations alone. Here, we use the high-resolution TNG50 cosmological magnetohydrodynamical simulation to study the properties and kinematics of the CGM around star-forming galaxies in 1011.5–1012 M ⊙ halos at z ≃ 1 using mock Mg ii absorption lines, which we generate by postprocessing halos to account for photoionization in the presence of a UV background. We find that the Mg ii gas is a very good tracer of the cold CGM, which is accreting inward at inflow velocities of up to 50 km s−1. For sight lines aligned with the galaxy’s major axis, we find that Mg ii absorption lines are kinematically shifted due to the cold CGM’s significant corotation at speeds up to 50% of the virial velocity for impact parameters up to 60 kpc. We compare mock Mg ii spectra to observations from the MusE GAs FLow and Wind (MEGAFLOW) survey of strong Mg ii absorbers (EW2796 Å 0 &gt; 0.5 Å). After matching the equivalent-width (EW) selection, we find that the mock Mg ii spectra reflect the diversity of observed kinematics and EWs from MEGAFLOW, even though the sight lines probe a very small fraction of the CGM. Mg ii absorption in higher-mass halos is stronger and broader than in lower-mass halos but has qualitatively similar kinematics. The median-specific angular momentum of the Mg ii CGM gas in TNG50 is very similar to that of the entire CGM and only differs from non-CGM components of the halo by normalization factors of ≲1 dex.

The effect of inhomogeneous reionization on the Lyman α forest power spectrum at redshift z &amp;gt; 4: implications for thermal parameter recovery

ABSTRACT We use the Sherwood–Relics suite of hybrid hydrodynamical and radiative transfer simulations to model the effect of inhomogeneous reionization on the 1D power spectrum of the Lyman α (Lyα) forest transmitted flux at redshifts 4.2 ≤ z ≤ 5. Relative to models that assume a homogeneous ultraviolet background, reionization suppresses the power spectrum at small scales, k ∼ 0.1 km−1 s, by ∼10 per cent because of spatial variations in the thermal broadening kernel and the divergent peculiar velocity field associated with overpressurized intergalactic gas. On larger scales, $k\lt 0.03\rm \, km^{-1}\, s$, the power spectrum is instead enhanced by 10–50 per cent by large-scale spatial variations in the neutral hydrogen fraction. The effect of inhomogeneous reionization must therefore be accounted for in analyses of forthcoming high precision measurements. We provide a correction for the Lyα forest power spectrum at 4.1 ≤ z ≤ 5.4 that can be easily applied within other parameter inference frameworks using similar reionization models. We perform a Bayesian analysis of mock data to assess the extent of systematic biases that may arise in measurements of the intergalactic medium if ignoring this correction. At the scales probed by current high-resolution Lyα forest data at z &amp;gt; 4, $0.006 \le k \le 0.2 \rm \, km^{-1}\, s$, we find inhomogeneous reionization does not introduce any significant bias in thermal parameter recovery for the current measurement uncertainties of ∼10 per cent. However, for 5 per cent uncertainties, ∼1σ shifts between the estimated and true parameters occur.

How robust are the inferred density and metallicity of the circumgalactic medium?

ABSTRACT Quantitative estimates of the basic properties of the circumgalactic medium (CGM), such as its density and metallicity, depend on the spectrum of incident UV background radiation. Models of UV background are known to have large variations, mainly because they are synthesized using poorly constrained parameters, which introduce uncertainty in the inferred properties of the CGM. Here, we quantify this uncertainty using a large set of new UV background models with physically motivated toy models of metal-enriched CGM. We find that the inferred density and metallicity of low-density (10−5 cm−3) gas is uncertain by factors of 6.3 and 3.2, whereas high-density (10−3 cm−3) gas by factors of 4 and 1.6, respectively. The variation in the shape of the UV background models is entirely responsible for such a variation in the metallicity, while variation in the density arises from both normalization and shape of the UV background. Moreover, we find a harder (softer) UV background infers higher (lower) density and metallicity. We also study warm-hot gas at T = 105.5 K and find that metallicity is robustly estimated but the inferred density is uncertain by a factor of 3 to 5.4 for low to high-density gas. Such large uncertainties in density and metallicity may severely limit the studies of the CGM and demand better observational constraints on the input parameters used in synthesizing UV background.

The baryon cycle of Seven Dwarfs with superbubble feedback

We present results from a high-resolution, cosmological, ΛCDM simulation of a group of field dwarf galaxies with the “superbubble” model for clustered SN feedback, accounting for thermal conduction and cold gas evaporation. We compared our results to a previous simulation which has the same initial condition and galaxy formation physics (other than SN feedback), but adopts a delayed-cooling model for supernova. The simulated luminous galaxies have blue colors, low star formation efficiencies and metallicities, and high cold gas content, reproducing the observed scaling relations of dwarf galaxies in the Local Volume. Bursty star formation histories and superbubble-driven outflows lead to the formation of kpc-size dark matter (DM) cores when stellar masses reaches M* &gt; 106 M⊙, similar to previous findings. However, the superbubble model appears more effective in destroying DM cusps than the delayed-cooling model in the previous study, reflecting a higher coupling efficiency of SN energy with the ISM. On larger scale, superbubble-driven outflows have a more moderate impact: galaxies have higher gas content, more extended stellar discs, and a smaller metal-enriched region in the circumgalactic medium (CGM). The two halos with Mvir ∼ 109 M⊙, which formed ultra-faint dwarf galaxies with the delayed-cooling mode, remain dark due to the different impact of metal-enriched galactic winds from two nearby luminous galaxies, indicating that the formation of faint dwarfs is highly dependent on feedback and environmental effects. The column density distributions of H I, Si II, C IV and O VI as a function of the scaled impact parameter (b/Rvir) are in good agreement with recent observations of CGM around isolated dwarf galaxies. While H I is ubiquitous with a covering fraction of unity within the CGM, low and intermediate ions like Si II and C IV are less extended (typically confined within 0.2 − 0.3 Rvir), and non-detections are common. O VI is more extended with column density N(O VI) ≳ 1013.5 cm−2 within Rvir, but its mass is only 11% of the total CGM oxygen budget, as the diffuse CGM is highly ionised by the UV background. Superbubble feedback produces C IV and O VI column densities that are an order of magnitude higher than those in the previous study using delayed-cooling feedback. Thus, the CGM and DM cores are most sensitive probes of feedback mechanisms.

Radiation hydrodynamical simulations of the birth of intermediate-mass black holes in the first galaxies

ABSTRACT The leading contenders for the seeds of z &amp;gt; 6 quasars are direct-collapse black holes (DCBHs) forming in atomically cooled haloes at z ∼ 20. However, the Lyman–Werner (LW) UV background required to form DCBHs of 105 M⊙ are extreme, about 104 J21, and may have been rare in the early universe. Here we investigate the formation of intermediate-mass black holes (IMBHs) under moderate LW backgrounds of 100 and 500 J21, which were much more common at early times. These backgrounds allow haloes to grow to a few 106–107 M⊙ and virial temperatures of nearly 104 K before collapsing, but do not completely sterilize them of H2. Gas collapse then proceeds via Lyα and rapid H2 cooling at rates that are 10–50 times those in normal Pop III star-forming haloes, but less than those in purely atomically cooled haloes. Pop III stars accreting at such rates become blue and hot, and we find that their ionizing UV radiation limits their final masses to 1800–2800 M⊙ at which they later collapse to IMBHs. Moderate LW backgrounds thus produced IMBHs in far greater numbers than DCBHs in the early universe.

Lyman-alpha opacities at z = 4–6 require low mass, radiatively-suppressed galaxies to drive cosmic reionization

ABSTRACT The high redshift Lyman-α forest, in particular the Gunn-Peterson trough, is the most unambiguous signature of the neutral to ionized transition of the intergalactic medium (IGM) taking place during the Epoch of Reionization. Recent studies have shown that reproducing the observed Lyman-α opacity distributions after overlap required a non-monotonous evolution of cosmic emissivity: rising, peaking at z ∼ 6, and then decreasing onwards to z = 4. Such an evolution is puzzling considering galaxy buildup and the cosmic star formation rate are still continously on the rise at these epochs. Here, we use new RAMSES-CUDATON simulations to show that such a peaked evolution may occur naturally in a fully coupled radiation-hydrodynamical framework. In our fiducial run, cosmic emissivity at z &amp;gt; 6 is dominated by a low mass (${\rm M_{DM}}\lt 2 \times 10^9 \rm \,M_{\odot }$), high escape fraction halo population, driving reionization, up to overlap. Approaching z = 6, this population is radiatively suppressed due to the rising ionizing UV background, and its emissivity drops. In the meantime, the high mass halo population builds up and its emissivity rises, but not fast enough to compensate the dimming of the low mass haloes, because of low escape fractions. The combined ionizing emissivity of these two populations therefore naturally results in a rise and fall of the cosmic emissivity, from z = 12 to z = 4, with a peak at z ∼ 6. An alternative run, which features higher escape fractions for the high mass haloes and later suppression at low mass, leads to overshooting the ionizing rate, over-ionizing the IGM and therefore too low Lyman-α opacities.

A panoramic view of the circumgalactic medium in the photoionized precipitation model

ABSTRACT We consider a model of the circumgalactic medium (CGM) in which feedback maintains a constant ratio of cooling time to free-fall time throughout the halo, so that the entire CGM is marginally unstable to multiphase condensation. This ‘precipitation model’ is motivated by observations of multiphase gas in the cores of galaxy clusters and the haloes of massive ellipticals. From the model, we derive the density and temperature profiles for the CGM around galaxies with masses similar to the Milky Way. After taking into consideration the geometrical position of our Solar system in the Milky Way, we show that the CGM model is consistent with observed O vi, O vii, O viii column densities and the ratio of O vii and O viii column densities only if temperature fluctuations with a lognormal dispersion σln T ∼ 0.6–1.0 are included. We show that O vi column densities observed around star-forming galaxies require systematically greater values of σln T than around passive galaxies, implying a connection between star formation in the disc and the state of the CGM. Photoionization by an extragalactic ultraviolet background radiation does not significantly change these CGM features for galaxies like the Milky Way but has much greater and significant effects on the CGM of lower mass galaxies.

The Critical Dark Matter Halo Mass for Population III Star Formation: Dependence on Lyman–Werner Radiation, Baryon-dark Matter Streaming Velocity, and Redshift

Abstract A critical dark matter halo mass (M crit) for Population III stars can be defined as the typical minimum halo mass that hosts sufficient cold-dense gas required for the formation of the first stars. The presence of Lyman–Werner (UV) radiation, which can dissociate molecular hydrogen, and the baryon-dark matter streaming velocity both delay the formation of Population III stars by increasing M crit. In this work, we constrain M crit as a function of Lyman–Werner flux (including self-shielding), baryon-dark matter streaming, and redshift using cosmological simulations with a large sample of halos utilizing the adaptive mesh refinement code enzo. We provide a fit for M crit as a function of these quantities, which we expect to be particularly useful for semi-analytical models of early galaxy formation. In addition, we find (i) the measured redshift dependence of M crit in the absence of radiation or streaming is (1 + z)−1.58, consistent with a constant virial temperature; (ii) increasing the UV background increases M crit while steepening the redshift dependence, up to (1 + z)−5.7; (iii) baryon-dark matter streaming boosts M crit but flattens the dependence on redshift; (iv) the combination of the two effects is not simply multiplicative.

The AGORA High-resolution Galaxy Simulations Comparison Project. III. Cosmological Zoom-in Simulation of a Milky Way–mass Halo

Abstract We present a suite of high-resolution cosmological zoom-in simulations to z = 4 of a 1012 M ⊙ halo at z = 0, obtained using seven contemporary astrophysical simulation codes (Art-I, Enzo, Ramses, Changa, Gadget-3, Gear, and Gizmo) widely used in the numerical galaxy formation community. The physics prescriptions for gas cooling and heating and star formation are the same as the ones used in our previous Assembling Galaxies of Resolved Anatomy (AGORA) disk comparison but now account for the effects of cosmological processes such as the expansion of the universe, intergalactic gas inflow, and the cosmic ultraviolet background radiation emitted by massive stars and quasars. In this work, we introduce the most careful comparison yet of galaxy formation simulations run by different code groups, together with a series of four calibration steps each of which is designed to reduce the number of tunable simulation parameters adopted in the final run. In the first two steps, we methodically calibrate the gas physics, such as cooling and heating, in simulations without star formation. In the third step, we seek agreement on the total stellar mass produced with the common star formation prescription used in the AGORA disk comparison, in stellar-feedback-free simulations. In the last calibration step, we activate stellar feedback, where each code group is asked to set the feedback prescription to as close to the most widely used one in its code community as possible, while aiming for convergence in the stellar mass at z = 4 to the values predicted by semiempirical models. After all the participating code groups successfully complete the calibration steps, we achieve a suite of cosmological simulations with similar mass assembly histories down to z = 4. With numerical accuracy that resolves the internal structure of a target halo (≲100 physical pc at z = 4), we find that the codes overall agree well with one another, e.g., in gas and stellar properties, but also show differences, e.g., in circumgalactic medium (CGM) properties. We argue that, if adequately tested in accordance with our proposed calibration steps and common parameters, high-resolution cosmological zoom-in simulations can have robust and reproducible results. New code groups are invited to join and enrich this comparison by generating equivalent models or to test the code’s compatibility on their own, by adopting the common initial conditions, the common easy-to-implement physics package, and the proposed calibration steps. Further analyses of the zoom-in simulations presented here will be presented in forthcoming reports from the AGORA Collaboration, including studies of the CGM, simulations by additional codes, and results at lower redshift.