The redshift evolution of Lyman-$α$ absorbers
| dc.creator | Valageas, P. | |
| dc.creator | Schaeffer, R. | |
| dc.creator | Silk, J. | |
| dc.date | 1999-03-25 | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2026-07-07T06:24:21Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2026-07-07T06:24:21Z | |
| dc.description | We present a model for the Lyman-alpha absorbers that treats all objects (from the low-density forest clouds to the dense damped systems) in a unified description. This approach is consistent with an earlier model of galaxies (luminosity function, metallicity) but also with the known description of the density field in the small-scale non-linear regime. We consider two cosmological models: a critical universe $Ω=1$ with a CDM power-spectrum, and an open CDM universe with $Ω_0=0.3$, $Λ=0$. We reproduce the available data on column density distribution as a function of redshift, the value of the main new parameter, the background ionizing UV flux, being consistent with the observed limits. This allows a quantitatively trustable analytical description of the opacity, mass, size, velocity dispersion and metallicity of these absorbers, over a range of column densities spanning 10 orders of magnitude. Moreover, together with an earlier model of galaxy formation this draws a unified picture of the redshift evolution of structures in the universe, from underdense clouds to massive high density galaxies, from weak to very deep potential wells. | |
| dc.description | 23 pages, accepted for publication by A&A | |
| dc.identifier | https://arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/9903388 | |
| dc.identifier | http://arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/9903388 | |
| dc.identifier | Astron.Astrophys. 345 (1999) 691 | |
| dc.identifier.uri | http://salesiana.dossiersoluciones.com/handle/123456789/96512 | |
| dc.subject | Astrophysics | |
| dc.title | The redshift evolution of Lyman-$α$ absorbers | |
| dc.type | text |