Metal Lines Associated with the Lyman-alpha Forest from eBOSS Data
Li Yang, Zheng Zheng, H\'elion du Mas des Bourboux, Kyle Dawson,, Matthew M. Pieri, Graziano Rossi, Donald P. Schneider, and Axel de la Macorra

TL;DR
This study identifies and analyzes multiple metal species associated with the Lyman-alpha forest in eBOSS quasar spectra, revealing their distribution, physical conditions, and implications for cosmic gas environments.
Contribution
It provides the first comprehensive identification of 13 metal species linked to Lyα absorbers across a broad redshift range using stacked spectra from eBOSS data.
Findings
13 metal species detected in Lyα absorbers
Column densities decrease with redshift and absorber strength
Different ionization states indicate diverse gas environments
Abstract
We investigate the metal species associated with the Ly forest in the eBOSS quasar spectra. Metal absorption lines are revealed in the stacked spectra from cross-correlating the selected Ly absorbers in the forest and the flux fluctuation field. Up to 13 metal species are identified associated with relatively strong Ly absorbers (those with flux fluctuation and with neutral hydrogen column density of ~ ) over absorber redshift range of . The column densities of these species decrease toward higher redshift and for weaker Ly absorbers. From modelling the column densities of various species, we find that the column density pattern suggests contributions from multiple gas components both in the circumgalactic medium (CGM) and in the intergalactic medium (IGM). While the…
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Taxonomy
TopicsGalaxies: Formation, Evolution, Phenomena · Astronomy and Astrophysical Research · Electrical and Electromagnetic Research
