The survival of gas clouds in the Circumgalactic Medium of Milky Way-like galaxies

Observational evidence shows that low-redshift galaxies are surrounded by extended haloes of multiphase gas, the so-called 'circumgalactic medium' (CGM). To study the survival of relatively cool gas (T < 10^5 K) in the CGM, we performed a set of hydrodynamical simulations of cold (T = 10^4 K) neutral gas clouds travelling through a hot (T = 2x10^6 K) and low-density (n = 10^-4 cm^-3) coronal medium, typical of Milky Way-like galaxies at large galactocentric distances (~ 50-150 kpc). We explored the effects of different initial values of relative velocity and radius of the clouds. Our simulations were performed on a two-dimensional grid with constant mesh size (2 pc) and they include radiative cooling, photoionization heating and thermal conduction. We found that for large clouds (radii larger than 250 pc) the cool gas survives for very long time (larger than 250 Myr): despite that they are partially destroyed and fragmented into smaller cloudlets during their trajectory, the total mass of cool gas decreases at very low rates. We found that thermal conduction plays a significant role: its effect is to hinder formation of hydrodynamical instabilities at the cloud-corona interface, keeping the cloud compact and therefore more difficult to destroy. The distribution of column densities extracted from our simulations are compatible with those observed for low-temperature ions (e.g. SiII and SiIII) and for high-temperature ions (OVI) once we take into account that OVI covers much more extended regions than the cool gas and, therefore, it is more likely to be detected along a generic line of sight.Comment: 12 pages, 10 figures. Accepted for publication in MNRA

Probing the IGM/Galaxy Connection IV: The LCO/WFCCD Galaxy Survey of 20 Fields Surrounding UV Bright Quasars

We publish the survey for galaxies in 20 fields containing ultraviolet bright quasars (with z_em 0.1 to 0.5) that can be used to study the association between galaxies and absorption systems from the low-z intergalactic medium (IGM). The survey is magnitude limited (R~19.5 mag) and highly complete out to 10' from the quasar in each field. It was designed to detect dwarf galaxies (L ~ 0.1 L*) at an impact parameter rho 1Mpc (z=0.1) from a quasar. The complete sample (all 20 fields) includes R-band photometry for 84718 sources and confirmed redshifts for 2800 sources. This includes 1198 galaxies with 0.005 < z < (z_em - 0.01) at a median redshift of 0.18, which may associated with IGM absorption lines. All of the imaging was acquired with cameras on the Swope 40" telescope and the spectra were obtained via slitmask observations using the WFCCD spectrograph on the Dupont 100" telescope at Las Campanas Observatory (LCO). This paper describes the data reduction, imaging analysis, photometry, and spectral analysis of the survey. We tabulate the principal measurements for all sources in each field and provide the spectroscopic dataset online.Comment: Accepted to the Astrophysical Journal Supplements; 20 pages, only 6 figures shown in this version. See http://www.ucolick.org/~xavier/WFCCDOVI/index.html for a full-length manuscript and other supportive materia

A design approach for integrated CMOS LC-tank oscillators using bifurcation analysis

Electrical oscillators play a decisive role in integrated transceivers for wired and wireless communication systems. In this context the study of fully integrated differential VCOs has received attention. In this paper formulas for investigations of the stability as well as the amplitude of CMOS LC tank oscillators are derived, where an overall model of nonlinear gain elements is used. By means of these results we are able to present an improved design approach which gives a deeper insight into the functionality of LC tank VCOs

Commercial Fishing Port Development in North Florida

The author has identified the following significant results. Seven major counties were examined: Escambia, Bay, Gulf, Franklin, Wakulla, Nassau, and Duval. Population and economic activity were reviewed, along with commercial fishing and port facilities. Recommendations for five northwest Florida counties were based on interpretation of aerial photographs, satellite imagery, an aerial survey site visit, and published data. Major needs in Pensacola included docking, ice supply, and net and engine repair services. Costs for additional docks, an ice plant, and gear storage were estimated at $3,658,600. Port users in Panama City identified additional docking and gear storage as primary needs, along with gear repair and a marine railway. Estimated costs for dock and gear storage were$2,860,000. Added docking, gear storage, and ice supply, as well as gear electronics and diesel repair were needed in Port St. Joe. Costs were calculated at $1,231,500. Franklin County has three ports (Apalachicola -$1,107,000 for docks and gear storage, Eastpoint - $420,000 for additional docks, and Carrabella -$2,824,100 for docks, gear storage, and ice plant)

The C IV Mass Density of the Universe at Redshift 5

In order to search for metals in the Lyman alpha forest at redshifts z > 4, we have obtained spectra of high S/N and resolution of three QSOs at z > 5.4 discovered by the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. These data allow us to probe to metal enrichment of the intergalactic medium at early times with higher sensitivity than previous studies. We find 16 C IV absorption systems with column densities log N(C IV) = 12.50 - 13.98 over a total redshift path Delta X = 3.29. In the redshift interval z = 4.5-5.0, where our statistics are most reliable, we deduce a comoving mass density of C IV ions Omega(C IV) = (4.3 +/- 2.5) x 10(-8) (90% confidence limits) for absorption systems with log N(C IV) > 13.0 (for an Einstein-de Sitter cosmology with h = 0.65). This value of Omega(C IV) is entirely consistent with those measured at z < 4; we confirm the earlier finding by Songaila (2001) that neither the column density distribution of C IV absorbers nor its integral show significant redshift evolution over a period of time which stretches from 1.25 to 4.5 Gyr after the big bang. This somewhat surprising conclusion may be an indication that the intergalactic medium was enriched in metals at redshifts much greater than 5, perhaps by the sources responsible for its reionization. Alternatively, the C IV systems we see may be associated with outflows from massive star-forming galaxies at later times, while the truly intergalactic metals may reside in regions of the Lyman alpha forest of lower density than those probed up to now.Comment: 24 pages including 5 figures. Accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journal (September 10, 2003 issue

Star formation rate and metallicity of damped Lyman-alpha absorbers in cosmological SPH simulations

We study the distribution of the star formation rate and metallicity of damped Lyman-alpha absorbers using cosmological SPH simulations of the Lambda cold dark matter model in the redshift range z=0-4.5. Our approach includes a phenomenological model of galactic wind. We find that there is a positive correlation between the projected stellar mass density and the neutral hydrogen column density (NHI) of DLAs for high NHI systems, and that there is a good correspondence in the spatial distribution of stars and DLAs in the simulations. The evolution of typical star-to-gas mass ratios in DLAs can be characterised by an increase from about 2 at z=4.5 to 3 at z=3, to 10 at z=1, and finally to 20 at z=0. We also find that the projected SFR density in DLAs follows the Kennicutt law well at all redshifts, and the simulated values are consistent with the recent observational estimates of this quantity by Wolfe et al. (2003a,b). The rate of evolution in the mean metallicity of simulated DLAs as a function of redshift is mild, and is consistent with the rate estimated from observations. The predicted metallicity of DLAs is generally sub-solar in our simulations, and there is a significant scatter in the distribution of DLA metallicity for a given NHI. However, we find that the median metallicity of simulated DLAs is close to that of Lyman-break galaxies, which is higher than the values typically observed for DLAs by nearly an order of magnitude. This discrepancy with observations could be due to an inadequate treatment of SN feedback in our current simulations, perhaps indicating that metals are not expelled efficiently enough from DLAs by outflows. Alternatively, the current observations might be missing the majority of the high metallicity DLAs due to selection effects. (abridged)Comment: 18 pages, 15 figures. Accepted to MNRAS. More visual presentations and the version with high resolution figures are available at http://cfa-www.harvard.edu/~knagamine/DLA-pics

A Budget and Accounting of Metals at z~0: Results from the COS-Halos Survey

We present a budget and accounting of metals in and around star-forming galaxies at $z\sim 0$. We combine empirically derived star formation histories with updated supernova and AGB yields and rates to estimate the total mass of metals produced by galaxies with present-day stellar mass of $10^{9.3}$--$10^{11.6} M_{\odot}$. On the accounting side of the ledger, we show that a surprisingly constant 20--25% mass fraction of produced metals remain in galaxies' stars, interstellar gas and interstellar dust, with little dependence of this fraction on the galaxy stellar mass (omitting those metals immediately locked up in remnants). Thus, the bulk of metals are outside of galaxies, produced in the progenitors of today's $L^*$ galaxies. The COS-Halos survey is uniquely able to measure the mass of metals in the circumgalactic medium (to impact parameters of $< 150$ kpc) of low-redshift $\sim L^*$ galaxies. Using these data, we map the distribution of CGM metals as traced by both the highly ionized OVI ion and a suite of low-ionization species; combined with constraints on circumgalactic dust and hotter X-ray emitting gas out to similar impact parameters, we show that $\sim 40$% of metals produced by $M_{\star}\sim 10^{10}M_{\odot}$ galaxies can be easily accounted for out to 150 kpc. With the current data, we cannot rule out a constant mass of metals within this fixed physical radius. This census provides a crucial boundary condition for the eventual fate of metals in galaxy evolution models.Comment: 19 pages, 12 figures, 2 tables. ApJ, in pres

Constraints on Early Nucleosynthesis from the Abundance Pattern of a Damped Ly-alpha System at z = 2.626

We have investigated chemical evolution in the young universe by analysing the detailed chemical enrichment pattern of a metal-rich galaxy at high redshift. The recent detection of over 20 elements in the gas-phase of a damped Lyman-alpha absorber (DLA) at z = 2.626 represents an exciting new avenue for exploring early nucleosynthesis. Given a strict upper age of ~2.5 Gyr and a gas-phase metallicity about one third solar, we have shown the DLA abundance pattern to be consistent with the predictions of a chemical evolution model in which the interstellar enrichment is dominated by massive stars with a small contribution from Type Ia supernovae. Discrepancies between the empirical data and the models are used to highlight outstanding issues in nucleosynthesis theory, including a tendency for Type II supernovae models to overestimate the magnitude of the "odd-even" effect at subsolar metallicities. Our results suggest a possible need for supplemental sources of magnesium and zinc, beyond that provided by massive stars.Comment: 12 pages, 7 figs. Accepted for publication in ApJ (The Astrophysical Journal