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All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1995

Medium-resolution far-ultraviolet spectroscopy of PKS 2155-304

Using the Berkeley spectrometer of the Orbiting Retrievable Far and Extreme Ultraviolet Spectrometer (ORFEUS) we observed the 87-117 nm UV spectrum of the BL Lac object PKS 2155-304 with about 0.5 A resolution. In addition to the expected interstellar lines we detected higher quantum number counterparts of the intergalactic Lyman alpha lines discovered earlier with IUE and the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) in the direction of PKS 2155-304. The Lyman discontinuities indicate for three of the redshifted clouds a combined H I column density of 2-5 x 10(exp 16)/sq cm, while the column density for another cloud appears to be well below 5 x 10(exp 15)/sq cm. No siginificant O VI absorption in the galactic halo toward PKS 2155-304 could be detected from our data. Assuming that saturation effects are negligible for these weak features, we obtain for the O VI column density toward PKS 2155-304 a 3 sigma upper limit of 2.7 x 10(exp 14)/sq cm.

Appenzeller, I.↗
NASA NTRS1972

Theoretical models of photoionized intergalactic hydrogen.

The effects of ionizing radiation emitted by quasi-stellar objects on intergalactic hydrogen are studied. The hydrogen is assumed to expand with the Universe, and the amount of ionizing radiation is estimated from observations of the QSO luminosity function. The discreteness of the radiation sources is taken into account in computing the thermal history of the medium. The amount of ionizing radiation is shown to be sufficient to allow the existence of a universal medium with a temperature less than 10,000 K and a density several times the smeared-out density of luminous matter in galaxies. Such a medium would escape detection with presently available techniques.

Arons, J.↗
NASA NTRS1984

Studies of X-ray clusters of galaxies/intergalactic plasmas

Intergalactic plasmas were investigated from both an observational and theoretical point of view. A multiobject spectrometer, the MX spectrograph was used to obtain detailed dynamical information on clusters of galaxies; this information was then compared with X ray emission from hot gas in these clusters. Several spectra of galaxies are presented, and data reduction of the spectra was discussed. The existence of quasar winds in Seyfert galaxies and the interaction between such a wind and the interstellar medium also were considered.

Scott, J. S.↗
DOE OSTI2017

The Remarkable Similarity of Massive Galaxy Clusters from z ∼ 0 to z ∼ 1.9

We present the results of a Chandra X-ray survey of the eight most massive galaxy clusters at z > 1.2 in the South Pole Telescope 2500 deg{sup 2} survey. We combine this sample with previously published Chandra observations of 49 massive X-ray-selected clusters at 0 < z < 0.1 and 90 Sunyaev–Zel’dovich–selected clusters at 0.25 < z < 1.2 to constrain the evolution of the intracluster medium (ICM) over the past ∼10 Gyr. We find that the bulk of the ICM has evolved self-similarly over the full redshift range probed here, with the ICM density at r>0.2R{sub 500} scaling like E(z){sup 2}. In the centers of clusters (r≲0.01R{sub 500}), we find significant deviations from self-similarity (n{sub e}∝E(z){sup 0.2±0.5}), consistent with no redshift dependence. When we isolate clusters with overdense cores (i.e., cool cores), we find that the average overdensity profile has not evolved with redshift—that is, cool cores have not changed in size, density, or total mass over the past ∼9–10 Gyr. We show that the evolving “cuspiness” of clusters in the X-ray, reported by several previous studies, can be understood in the context of a cool core with fixed properties embedded in a self-similarly evolving cluster. We find no measurable evolution in the X-ray morphology of massive clusters, seemingly in tension with the rapidly rising (with redshift) rate of major mergers predicted by cosmological simulations. We show that these two results can be brought into agreement if we assume that the relaxation time after a merger is proportional to the crossing time, since the latter is proportional to H(z){sup −1}.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
NASA NTRS1994

Analysis of small-scale microwave background radiation anisotropy in the presence of foreground contamination

Many of the current round of experiments searching for anisotropies in the microwave background radiation (MBR) are confronting the problem of how to disentangle the cosmic signal from contamination due to Galactic and intergalactic foreground sources. Here we show how commonly used likelihood function techniques can be generalized to account for foreground. Specifically we set some restrictions on the spectrum of foreground contamination but allow the amplitude to vary arbitrarily. The likelihood function thus generalized gives reasonable limits on the MBR anisotropy which, in some cases, are not much less restrictive than what one would get from more detailed modeling of the foreground. Furthermore, the likelihood function is exactly the same as one would obtain by simply projecting out foreground contamination and looking at the reduced data set. We apply this generalized analysis to the recent medium-angle data sets of ACME-HEMT (Gaier et al. 1992; Schuster et al. 1993) and MAX (Meinhold et al. 1993; Gunderson et al. 1993). The resulting analysis constrains the one free parameter in the standard cold dark matter theory to be Q(sub rms-ps) = 18(sub -5 sup +8) microKelvin. This best fit value, although in striking agreement with the normalization from Cosmic Background Explorer (COBE), is not a very good fit, with an overall chi-squared/degrees of freedom = 208/168. We also argue against three commonly used methods of dealing with foreground: (1) ignoring it completely; (2) subtracting off a best-fit foreground and treating the residuals as if uncontaminated; and (3) culling data which appears to be contaminated by foreground.

Dodelson, Scott↗
DOE OSTI2016

A deep search for faint galaxies associated with very low redshift C iv absorbers. III. The mass- and environment-dependent circumgalactic medium

Using Hubble Space Telescope Cosmic Origins Spectrograph observations of 89 QSO sightlines through the Sloan Digital Sky Survey footprint, we study the relationships between C iv absorption systems and the properties of nearby galaxies, as well as the large-scale environment. To maintain sensitivity to very faint galaxies, we restrict our sample to 0.0015 10{sup 9.5} M{sub ⊙}; lower-mass galaxies rarely exhibit significant C iv absorption (covering fraction f{sub C}=9{sub −6}{sup +12}% for 11 galaxies with M{sub ∗}<10{sup 9.5} M{sub ⊙}). Second, C iv detection within the M{sub ∗}>10{sup 9.5} M{sub ⊙} population depends on environment. Using a fixed-aperture environmental density metric for galaxies with ρ < 160 kpc at z<0.055, we find that 57{sub −13}{sup +12}% (8/14) of galaxies in low-density regions (regions with fewer than seven L>0.15 L∗ galaxies within 1.5 Mpc) have affiliated C iv absorption; however, none (0/7) of the galaxies in denser regions show C iv. Similarly, the C iv detection rate is lower for galaxies residing in groups with dark matter halo masses of M{sub halo}>10{sup 12.5} M{sub ⊙}. In contrast to C iv, H i is pervasive in the circumgalactic medium without regard to mass or environment. These results indicate that C iv absorbers with log N(C IV)≳13.5 cm{sup −2} trace the halos of M{sub ∗}>10{sup 9.5} M{sub ⊙} galaxies but also reflect larger-scale environmental conditions.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
NASA NTRS1999

Multiwavelength Observations of Mkn 501 During the 1997 High State

During the observation period 1977, the close Blazar Mkn 501 showed extremely strong emission and high variability. We examine multiwavelength aspects of this event using Radio optical, soft and hard X-ray and TeV data. We concentrate on the medium-timescale variability of the broadband spectra averaged over 1-week intervals. We confirm the previously found correlation between soft and hard X-ray emission and the at TeV energies while the source shows only minor variability at radio and optical wavelengths. The non-linear correlation between hard X-ray and TeV fluxes is consistent with a simple analytic estimate based on an SSC model in which Klein-Nishina effects are important for the highest-energy electrons in the jet and flux; variations are caused by variations of the electron density and/or the spectral index of the electron injection spectrum. The time-averaged spectra are fitted with an SSC dominated leptonic jet model using the full Klein-Nishina cross section and following the self-consistent evolution of relativistic particles along the jet accounting for gamma gamma absorption and pair production within the source as well as due to the intergalactic infrared red background radiation. The contribution from external inverse-Compton scattering is tightly constrained by the low maximum EGRET flux and found co be negligible.

Petry, D.↗
DOE OSTI2017

Powerful H{sub 2} Line Cooling in Stephan’s Quintet. II. Group-wide Gas and Shock Modeling of the Warm H{sub 2} and a Comparison with [C ii] 157.7 μ m Emission and Kinematics

We map for the first time the two-dimensional H{sub 2} excitation of warm intergalactic gas in Stephan's Quintet on group-wide (50 × 35 kpc{sup 2}) scales to quantify the temperature, mass, and warm H{sub 2} mass fraction as a function of position using Spitzer . Molecular gas temperatures are seen to rise (to T > 700 K) and the slope of the power-law density–temperature relation flattens along the main ridge of the filament, defining the region of maximum heating. We also performed MHD modeling of the excitation properties of the warm gas, to map the velocity structure and energy deposition rate of slow and fast molecular shocks. Slow magnetic shocks were required to explain the power radiated from the lowest-lying rotational states of H{sub 2}, and strongly support the idea that energy cascades down to small scales and low velocities from the fast collision of NGC 7318b with group-wide gas. The highest levels of heating of the warm H{sub 2} are strongly correlated with the large-scale stirring of the medium as measured by [C ii] spectroscopy with Herschel . H{sub 2} is also seen associated with a separate bridge that extends toward the Seyfert nucleus in NGC 7319, from both Spitzer and CARMA CO observations. This opens up the possibility that both galaxy collisions and outflows from active galactic nuclei can turbulently heat gas on large scales in compact groups. The observations provide a laboratory for studying the effects of turbulent energy dissipation on group-wide scales, which may provide clues about the heating and cooling of gas at high z in early galaxy and protogalaxy formation.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2017

The Warm Circumgalactic Medium: 10{sup 5−6} K Gas Associated with a Single Galaxy Halo or with an Entire Group of Galaxies?

In preparation for a Hubble Space Telescope (HST) observing project using the Cosmic Origins Spectrograph (COS), the positions of all AGN targets having high-S/N far-UV G130M spectra were cross-correlated with a large catalog of low-redshift galaxy groups homogenously selected from the spectroscopic sample of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS). Searching for targets behind only those groups at z = 0.1–0.2 (which places the O vi doublet in the wavelength region of peak COS sensitivity), we identified only one potential S/N=15--20 target, FBQS 1010+3003. An O vi-only absorber was found in its G130M spectrum at z = 0.11326, close to the redshift of a foreground small group of luminous galaxies at z = 0.11685. Because there is no associated Lyα absorption, any characterization of this absorber is necessarily minimal; however, the O vi detection likely traces “warm” gas in collisional ionization equilibrium at T ≈ 3 × 10{sup 5} K. While this discovery is consistent with being interface gas between cooler, photoionized clouds and a hotter intra-group medium, it could also be warm, interface gas associated with the circumgalactic medium (CGM) of the single closest galaxy. In this case, a detailed analysis of the galaxy distribution (complete to 0.2 L{sup ∗}) strongly favors the individual galaxy association. This analysis highlights the necessity of both high-S/N>20 COS data and a deep galaxy redshift survey of the region in order to test more rigorously the association of O vi-absorbing gas with a galaxy group. A Cycle 23 HST/COS program is currently targeting 10 UV-bright AGN behind 12 low-redshift galaxy groups to test the warm, group gas hypothesis.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2021

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

In this work, we present a suite of high-resolution cosmological zoom-in simulations to z = 4 of a 10 12 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.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
NASA NTRS2001

Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopy of the Intergalactic and Interstellar Absorption Toward 3C 273

We present Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer observations of the molecular, neutral atomic, weakly ionized, and highly ionized components of the interstellar and intergalactic material toward the quasar 3C273. We identify Ly-beta absorption in eight of the known intergalactic Ly-alpha absorbers along the sight line with the rest-frame equivalent widths W(sub r)(Ly-alpha) > 50 micro-angstroms. Refined estimates of the H(I) column densities and Doppler parameters (b) of the clouds are presented. We find a range of b = 16-46 km/s. We detect multiple H(I) lines (Ly-beta - Ly-theta) in the 1590 km/s Virgo absorber and estimate logN(H(I)) = 15.85 +/- 0.10, ten times more H(I) than all of the other absorbers along the sight line combined. The Doppler width of this absorber, b = 16 km/s, implies T < 15,000 K. We detect O(VI) absorption at 1015 km/s at the 2-3(sigma) level that may be associated with hot, X-ray emitting gas in the Virgo Cluster. We detect weak C(III) and O(VI) absorption in the IGM at z=0.12007; this absorber is predominantly ionized and has N(H+)/N(H(I)) > 4000/Z, where Z is the metallicity. Strong Galactic interstellar O(VI) is present between -100 and +100 km/s with an additional high-velocity wing containing about 13% of the total O(VI) between +100 and +240 km/s. The Galactic O(VI), N(V), and C(IV) lines have similar shapes, with roughly constant ratios across the -100 to +100 km/s velocity range. The high velocity O(VI) wing is not detected in other species. Much of the interstellar high ion absorption probably occurs within a highly fragmented medium within the Loop IV remnant or in the outer cavity walls of the remnant. Multiple hot gas production mechanisms are required. The broad O(VI) absorption wing likely traces the expulsion of hot gas out of the Galactic disk into the halo. A flux limit of 5.4 x 10(epx -16) erg/sq cm/s on the amount of diffuse O(VI) emission present = 3.5' off the 3C273 sight line combined with the observed O(VI) column density toward 3C273, logN O(VI) = 14.73 +/- 0.04, implies n(sub e) < 0.02/cubic cm and P/k < 11,500/cubic cm for an assumed temperature of 3 x 10(exp 5) K. The elemental abundances in the neutral and weakly-ionized interstellar clouds are similar to those found for other halo clouds. The warm neutral and warm ionized clouds along the sight line have similar dust-phase abundances, implying that the properties of the dust grains in the two types of clouds are similar. Interstellar H2 absorption is present at positive velocities at a level of logN(H2) = 15.71, but is very weak at the velocities of the main column density concentration along the sight line observed in H(I) 21 cm emission.

Sembach, Kenneth R.↗
DOE OSTI2017

Probing Large Galaxy Halos at Z ∼ 0 with Automated Lyα-absorption Matching

We present initial results from an ongoing large-scale study of the circumgalactic medium in the nearby Universe (cz ⩽ 10,000 km s{sup −1}), using archival Cosmic Origins Spectrograph spectra of background quasi-stellar objects. This initial sample contains 33 sightlines chosen for their proximity to large galaxies (D⩾25 kpc) and high signal-to-noise ratios (S/N ⩾ 10), yielding 48 Lyα absorption lines that we have paired with 33 unique galaxies, with 29 cases where multiple absorbers within a single sightline are paired with the same galaxy. We introduce a likelihood parameter to facilitate the matching of galaxies to absorption lines in a reproducible manner. We find the usual anti-correlation between Lyα equivalent width (EW) and impact parameter (ρ) when we normalize by galaxy virial radius (R {sub vir}). Galaxies associated with a Lyα absorber are found to be more highly inclined than galaxies in the survey volume at a > 99% confidence level (equivalent to ∼3.6σ for a normal distribution). In contrast with suggestions in other recent papers of a correlation with azimuth angle for Mg ii absorption, we find no such correlation for Lyα.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2016

ON HELIUM MIXING IN QUASI-GLOBAL SIMULATIONS OF THE INTRACLUSTER MEDIUM

The assumption of a spatially uniform helium distribution in the intracluster medium (ICM) can lead to biases in the estimates of key cluster parameters if composition gradients are present. The helium concentration profile in galaxy clusters is unfortunately not directly observable. Current models addressing the putative sedimentation are one-dimensional and parametrize the presence of magnetic fields in a crude way, ignoring the weakly collisional, magnetized nature of the medium. When these effects are considered, a wide variety of instabilities can play an important role in the plasma dynamics. In a series of recent papers, we have developed the local, linear theory of these instabilities and addressed their nonlinear development with a modified version of Athena. Here, we extend our study by developing a quasi-global approach that we use to simulate the mixing of helium as induced by generalizations of the heat-flux-driven buoyancy instability (HBI) and the magnetothermal instability, which feed off thermal and composition gradients. In the inner region of the ICM, mixing can occur over a few gigayears, after which the average magnetic field inclination angle is ∼30°–50°, resulting in an averaged Spitzer parameter higher by about 20% than the value obtained in homogeneous simulations. In the cluster outskirts the instabilities are rather inefficient, due to the shallow gradients. This suggests that composition gradients in cluster cores might be shallower than one-dimensional models predict. More quantitative statements demand more refined models that can incorporate the physics driving the sedimentation process and simultaneously account for the weakly collisional nature of the plasma.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2015

RAM pressure stripping of the Large Magellanic Cloud’s disk as a probe of the Milky Way’s circumgalactic medium

Recent observations have constrained the orbit and structure of the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC), implying a well-constrained pericentric passage about the Milky Way (MW) ∼50 Myr ago. In this scenario, the LMC’s gaseous disk has recently experienced stripping, suggesting the extent of its H{sub I} disk directly probes the medium in which it is moving. From the observed stellar and H{sub I} distributions of the system we find evidence of a truncated gas profile along the windward “leading edge” of the LMC disk, despite a far more extended stellar component. We explore the implications of this ram pressure stripping signature, using both analytic prescriptions and full three-dimensional hydrodynamic simulations of the LMC. Our simulations can match the radial extent of the LMC’s leading (windward) edge only in scenarios where the MW CGM density at pericentric passage is n{sub p}(R=48.2±5 kpc)=1.1{sub −.45}{sup +.44}×10{sup −4} cm{sup −3}. The implied pericentric density proves to be insensitive to both the broader CGM and temperature profiles, thus providing a model-independent constraint on the local gas density. This result imposes an important constraint on the density profile of the MW’s CGM at 50 kpc, and thus also on the total baryon content of the MW. From our work, assuming a β-profile valid to ∼r {sub vir}, we infer a total diffuse CGM mass M(300 kpc)=2.7±1.4×10{sup 10}M{sub ⊙} or approximately 15% of a 10{sup 12}M{sub ⊙} MW’s baryonic mass budget.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2016

EMPIRICALLY CONSTRAINED PREDICTIONS FOR METAL-LINE EMISSION FROM THE CIRCUMGALACTIC MEDIUM

The circumgalactic medium (CGM) is one of the remaining least constrained components of galaxies and as such has significant potential for advancing galaxy formation theories. In this work, we vary the extragalactic ultraviolet background for a high-resolution cosmological simulation of a Milky-Way-like galaxy and examine the effect on the absorption and emission properties of metals in the CGM. We find that a reduced quasar background brings the column density predictions into better agreement with recent data. Similarly, when the observationally derived physical properties of the gas are compared to the simulation, we find that the simulation gas is always at temperatures approximately 0.5 dex higher. Thus, similar column densities can be produced from fundamentally different gas. However, emission maps can provide complementary information to the line-of-sight column densities to better derive gas properties. From the simulations, we find that the brightest emission is less sensitive to the extragalactic background and that it closely follows the fundamental filamentary structure of the halo. This becomes increasingly true as the galaxy evolves from z = 1 to z = 0 and the majority of the gas transitions to a hotter, more diffuse phase. For the brightest ions (C iii, C iv, O vi), detectable emission can extend as far as 120 kpc at z = 0. Finally, resolution is a limiting factor for the conclusions we can draw from emission observations, but with moderate resolution and reasonable detection limits, upcoming instrumentation should place constraints on the physical properties of the CGM.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2017

The Impact of the Group Environment on the O vi Circumgalactic Medium

We present a study comparing O vi λλ1031, 1037 doublet absorption found toward group galaxy environments to that of isolated galaxies. The O vi absorption in the circumgalactic medium (CGM) of isolated galaxies has been studied previously by the “Multiphase Galaxy Halos” survey, where the kinematics and absorption properties of the CGM have been investigated. We extend these studies to group environments. We define a galaxy group as having two or more galaxies with a line-of-sight velocity difference of no more than 1000 km s{sup −1} and located within 350 kpc (projected) of a background quasar sightline. We identified a total of six galaxy groups associated with O vi absorption W {sub r} > 0.06 Å that have a median redshift of 〈z{sub gal}〉=0.1669 and a median impact parameter of 〈D〉=134.1 kpc. An additional 12 non-absorbing groups were identified with a median redshift of 〈z{sub gal}〉=0.2690 and a median impact parameter of 〈D〉=274.0 kpc. We find the average equivalent width to be smaller for group galaxies than for isolated galaxies (3σ). However, the covering fractions are consistent with both samples. We used the pixel-velocity two-point correlation function method and find that the velocity spread of O vi in the CGM of group galaxies is significantly narrower than that of isolated galaxies (10σ). We suggest that the warm/hot CGM does not exist as a superposition of halos; instead, the virial temperature of the halo is hot enough for O vi to be further ionized. The remaining O vi likely exists at the interface between hot diffuse gas and cooler regions of the CGM.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2016

The COS-Halos survey: origins of the highly ionized circumgalactic medium of star-forming galaxies

The total contribution of diffuse halo gas to the galaxy baryon budget strongly depends on its dominant ionization state. In this paper, we address the physical conditions in the highly ionized circumgalactic medium (CGM) traced by O VI absorption lines observed in COS-Halos spectra. We analyze the observed ionic column densities, absorption-line widths and relative velocities, along with the ratios of N V/O VI for 39 fitted Voigt profile components of O vi. We compare these quantities with the predictions given by a wide range of ionization models. Photoionization models that include only extragalactic UV background radiation are ruled out; conservatively, the upper limits to N V/O VI and measurements of N{sub OVI} imply unphysically large path lengths ≳100 kpc. Furthermore, very broad O VI absorption (b > 40 km s{sup −1}) is a defining characteristic of the CGM of star-forming L* galaxies. We highlight two possible origins for the bulk of the observed O VI: (1) highly structured gas clouds photoionized primarily by local high-energy sources or (2) gas radiatively cooling on large scales behind a supersonic wind. Approximately 20% of circumgalactic O vi does not align with any low-ionization state gas within ±50 km s{sup −1} and is found only in halos with M{sub halo} < 10{sup 12} M{sub ⊙}. We suggest that this type of unmatched O vi absorption traces the hot corona itself at a characteristic temperature of 10{sup 5.5} K. We discuss the implications of these very distinct physical origins for the dynamical state, gas cooling rates, and total baryonic content of L* gaseous halos.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2016

THE CIRCUMGALACTIC MEDIUM OF SUBMILLIMETER GALAXIES. I. FIRST RESULTS FROM A RADIO-IDENTIFIED SAMPLE

We present the first results from an ongoing survey to characterize the circumgalactic medium (CGM) of massive high-redshift galaxies detected as submillimeter galaxies (SMGs). We constructed a parent sample of 163 SMG–QSO pairs with separations less than ∼36″ by cross-matching far-infrared-selected galaxies from Herschel with spectroscopically confirmed QSOs. The Herschel sources were selected to match the properties of the SMGs. We determined the sub-arcsecond positions of six Herschel sources with the Very Large Array and obtained secure redshift identification for three of those with near-infrared spectroscopy. The QSO sightlines probe transverse proper distances of 112, 157, and 198 kpc at foreground redshifts of 2.043, 2.515, and 2.184, respectively, which are comparable to the virial radius of the ∼10{sup 13} M {sub ⊙} halos expected to host SMGs. High-quality absorption-line spectroscopy of the QSOs reveals systematically strong H i Ly α absorption around all three SMGs, with rest-frame equivalent widths of ∼2–3 Å. However, none of the three absorbers exhibit compelling evidence for optically thick H i gas or metal absorption, in contrast to the dominance of strong neutral absorbers in the CGM of luminous z ∼ 2 QSOs. The low covering factor of optically thick H i gas around SMGs tentatively indicates that SMGs may not have as prominent cool gas reservoirs in their halos as the coeval QSOs and that they may inhabit less massive halos than previously thought.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗