1,575 research outputs found
Measuring Feedback in Damped Lyman Alpha Systems
We measure feedback (heating rates) in damped Lyman alpha systems from the
cooling rate of the neutral gas. Since cooling occurs through [C II] 158 micron
emission, we infer cooling from C II^{*} 1335.7 absorption lines detected with
HIRES on the Keck I telescope. The inferred heating rates are about 30 times
lower than for the Galaxy ISM. At z = 2.8, the implied star formation rate per
unit area is 10^{-2.4+-0.3} solar masses per kpc^{2} per year, and the the star
formation rate per unit comoving volume is 10^{-0.8+-0.2} solar masses per
Mpc^{3} per year. This is the first measurement of star formation rates in
objects likely to be the progenitors of current galaxies.Comment: 7 pages, 5 figures, Proceedings of the ESO/ECF/STScI Workshop on Deep
Field
Understanding Physical Conditions in High Redshift Galaxies through C I Fine Structure Lines: Data and Methodology
We probe the physical conditions in high redshift galaxies, specifically, the
Damped Lyman-alpha Systems (DLAs) using neutral carbon (CI) fine structure
lines and molecular hydrogen (H2). We report five new detections of CI and
analyze the CI in an additional 2 DLAs with previously published data. We also
present one new detection of H2 in a DLA. We present a new method of analysis
that simultaneously constrains \emph{both} the volume density and the
temperature of the gas, as opposed to previous studies that a priori assumed a
gas temperature. We use only the column density of CI measured in the fine
structure states and the assumption of ionization equilibrium in order to
constrain the physical conditions in the gas. We present a sample of 11 CI
velocity components in 6 DLAs and compare their properties to those derived by
the global CII* technique. The resulting median values for this sample are:
= 69 cm^{-3}, = 50 K, and = 3.86 cm^{-3} K, with
standard deviations, sigma_{n(HI)} = 134 cm^{-3}, sigma_T = 52 K, and
sigma_{log(P/k)} = 3.68 cm^{-3} K. This can be compared with the integrated
median values for the same DLAs : = 2.8 cm^{-3}, = 139 K, and
= 2.57 cm^{-3} K, with standard deviations sigma_{n(HI)} = 3.0
cm^{-3}, sigma_T = 43 K, and sigma_{log(P/k)} = 0.22 cm^{-3} K. Interestingly,
the pressures measured in these high redshift CI clouds are similar to those
found in the Milky Way. We conclude that the CI gas is tracing a
higher-density, higher-pressure region, possibly indicative of post-shock gas
or a photodissociation region on the edge of a molecular cloud. We speculate
that these clouds may be direct probes of the precursor sites of star formation
in normal galaxies at high redshift.Comment: Accepted for publication in Ap
Are Simulations of CDM Consistent with Galactic-Scale Observations at High Redshift?
We compare new observations on the kinematic characteristics of the damped
Lya systems against results from numerical SPH simulations to test the
predictions of hierarchical galaxy formation. This exercise is particularly
motivated by recent numerical results on the cross-section of damped Lya
systems. Our analysis focuses on the velocity widths of ~50 low-ion absorption
profiles from our sample of z>1.5 damped Lya systems. The results indicate that
current numerical simulations fail to match the damped Lya observations at high
confidence levels (>99.9%). Although we do not believe that our results present
an insurmountable challenge to the paradigm of hierarchical cosmology, the
damped Lya observations suggest that current numerical SPH simulations overlook
an integral aspect of galaxy formation.Comment: 4 pages, 2 color figures; Submitted to ApJ
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