Simulations of the Sunyaev-Zeldovich Effect from Quasars

TL;DR

This paper uses cosmological hydrodynamic simulations to predict the Sunyaev-Zeldovich effect caused by quasar feedback, providing insights into black hole growth and galaxy formation through microwave observations.

Contribution

It presents the first self-consistent simulation-based predictions of the SZ effect from quasar-induced hot bubbles, linking black hole properties to observable microwave distortions.

Findings

SZ temperature distortions scale with black hole mass and accretion rate.

Typical amplitude of distortions is up to a few micro-Kelvin.

Detection prospects discussed for ALMA and CCAT.

Abstract

Quasar feedback has most likely a substantial but only partially understood impact on the formation of structure in the universe. A potential direct probe of this feedback mechanism is the Sunyaev-Zeldovich effect: energy emitted from quasar heats the surrounding intergalactic medium and induce a distortion in the microwave background radiation passing through the region. Here we examine the formation of such hot quasar bubbles using a cosmological hydrodynamic simulation which includes a self-consistent treatment of black hole growth and associated feedback, along with radiative gas cooling and star formation. From this simulation, we construct microwave maps of the resulting Sunyaev-Zeldovich effect around black holes with a range of masses and redshifts. The size of the temperature distortion scales approximately with black hole mass and accretion rate, with a typical amplitude up to a few micro-Kelvin on angular scales around 10 arcseconds. We discuss prospects for the direct detection of this signal with current and future single-dish and interferometric observations, including ALMA and CCAT. These measurements will be challenging, but will allow us to characterize the evolution and growth of supermassive black holes and the role of their energy feedback on galaxy formation.