arXiv subjects

Juna A. Kollmeier

Publications and source records attributed to Juna A. Kollmeier.

97 records · Page 6Linked to original sources

arXiv2005

Galactic Wind Effects on the Lyman-alpha Absorption in the Vicinity of Galaxies

We present predictions of Ly-alpha forest-galaxy correlations at z=3 from Eulerian simulations that include the effects of galactic winds, driven primarily by supernova explosions. Galactic winds produce expanding bubbles of shock-heated gas within ~0.5 comoving Mpc/h of luminous galaxies in the simulation, which have space density similar to that of observed Lyman break galaxies (LBGs). However, most of the low-density intergalactic gas that determines the observed properties of the Ly-alpha forest is unaffected by winds. The impact of winds on the Ly-alpha optical depth near galaxies is less dramatic than their impact on gas temperature because winds heat only a small fraction of the gas present in the turnaround regions surrounding galaxies. Hence, Ly-alpha absorption from gas outside the wind bubbles is spread out over the same velocity range occupied by the wind-heated gas. In general, Ly-alpha absorption is expected to be stronger than average near galaxies because of the high gas density. Winds result in a modest reduction of this expected increase of Ly-alpha absorption. Our predictions can be compared to future observations to detect the wind effects and infer their strength, although with the caveat that the results are still dependent on the correspondence of simulated galaxies and observed LBGs. We find that wind effects in our simulations are not strong enough to reproduce the high Ly-alpha transmission within 0.5 Mpc/h comoving of galaxies that has been suggested by recent observations; powerful galactic explosions or ejecta with hyper-escape velocities would be required, but these are unlikely to be produced by ordinary star formation and supernovae alone

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arXiv2004

Halo Luminosity Function From Photometric Calibration of the Revised NLTT

We calibrate the photographic photometry of the revised New Luyten Two-Tenths catalog (rNLTT) by matching 3448 rNLTT stars to the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS). The correction is linear in magnitude and goes from zero at V ~ 14 to 0.32 mag at V=19, in the sense that rNLTT was previously too bright. The correction implies that the underlying USNO-A2.0 photometry, on which rNLTT photometry is based, is non-linear. The new calibration somewhat improves the appearance of the (V,V-J) reduced proper motion diagram in the sense of better separation between disk and halo stars. We repeat Gould's analysis of 5000 halo stars in rNLTT. The most important change is to move the peak of the halo luminosity function about 0.5 mag dimmer, from M_V=10.5 to M_V=11, putting it into good agreement with the parallax-based determination of Dahn et al.

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arXiv2004

Star Captures by Quasar Accretion Disks: A Possible Explanation of the M-sigma Relation

A new theory of quasars is presented in which the matter of thin accretion disks around black holes is supplied by stars that plunge through the disk. Stars in the central part of the host galaxy are randomly perturbed to highly radial orbits, and as they repeatedly cross the disk they lose orbital energy by drag, eventually merging into the disk. Requiring the rate of stellar mass capture to equal the mass accretion rate into the black hole, a relation between the black hole mass and the stellar velocity dispersion is predicted of the form M_{BH} \propto sigma_*^{30/7}. The normalization depends on various uncertain parameters such as the disk viscosity, but is consistent with observation for reasonable assumptions. We show that a seed central black hole in a newly formed stellar system can grow at the Eddington rate up to this predicted mass via stellar captures by the accretion disk. Once this mass is reached, star captures are insufficient to maintain an Eddington accretion rate, and the quasar may naturally turn off as the accretion switches to a low-efficiency advection mode. The model provides a mechanism to deliver mass to the accretion disk at small radius, probably solving the problem of gravitational instability to star formation in the disk at large radius. We note that the matter from stars that is incorporated to the disk has an average specific angular momentum that is very small or opposite to that of the disk, and discuss how a rotating disk may be maintained as it captures this matter if a small fraction of the accreted mass comes from stellar winds that form a disk extending to larger radius. We propose several observational tests and consequences of this theory.

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arXiv2003

Proper Motion Catalog From SDSS \intersect USNO-B

We present a catalog of 345,000 stars with proper motions μ> 20 mas/yr and magnitudes r' <20, drawn from the intersection of the SDSS Data Release One and USNO-B. We first use SDSS quasars to correct the proper motions in each of the two source catalogs, finding that these corrections for systematics are comparable to the statistical errors. The combined proper motions have errors of σ_μ=4.0 mas/yr, significantly better than any previous catalog at these magnitudes. While cross-correlating SDSS and USNO-B removes the vast majority of the very large number of spurious proper-motion stars in each, some contamination remains, especially at faint magnitudes, r' > 19.5, and high proper motions. We present a diagrammatic method to estimate the level of contamination in selected subsets of the catalog, which should be useful for choosing appropriate selection criteria for various applications.

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arXiv2003

Lyman Break Galaxies and the Lyman-alpha Forest

We use hydrodynamic simulations to predict correlations between Lya forest absorption and galaxies at redshift z~3. The probability distribution function (PDF) of Lya flux decrements shifts systematically towards higher values in the vicinity of galaxies, reflecting the overdense environments in which these galaxies reside. The predicted signal remains strong in spectra smoothed over 50-200 km/s, allowing tests with moderate resolution quasar spectra. The strong bias of high redshift galaxies towards high density regions imprints a clear signature on the flux PDF, but the predictions are not sensitive to galaxy baryon mass or star formation rate, and they are similar for galaxies and for dark matter halos. The dependence of the flux PDF on galaxy proximity is sensitive to redshift determination errors, with rms errors of 150-300 km/s substantially weakening the predicted trends. On larger scales, the mean galaxy overdensity in a cube of 5 or 10 Mpc/h (comoving) is strongly correlated with the mean Lya flux decrement on a line of sight through the cube center. The slope of the correlation is ~3 times steeper for galaxies than for dark matter as a result of galaxy bias. The predicted large scale correlation is in qualitative agreement with recently reported observational results. However, observations also show a drop in absorption in the immediate vicinity of galaxies, which our models do not predict even if we allow the galaxies or AGNs within them to be ionizing sources. This decreased absorption could be a signature of galaxy feedback on the surrounding IGM, perhaps via galactic winds. Peculiar velocities often allow gas at comoving distances ~1.5 Mpc/h to produce saturated absorption at the galaxy redshift, so any feedback mechanism must suppress neutral hydrogen out to these radii to match the data. (Abridged)

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arXiv2003

The Lyman-alpha Forest as a Cosmological Tool

We review recent developments in the theory of the Lyman-alpha forest and their implications for the role of the forest as a test of cosmological models. Simulations predict a relatively tight correlation between the local Lya optical depth and the local gas or dark matter density. Statistical properties of the transmitted flux can constrain the amplitude and shape of the matter power spectrum at high redshift, test the assumption of Gaussian initial conditions, and probe the evolution of dark energy by measuring the Hubble parameter H(z). Simulations predict increased Lya absorption in the vicinity of galaxies, but observations show a Lya deficit within Delta_r ~ 0.5 Mpc/h (comoving). We investigate idealized models of "winds" and find that they must eliminate neutral hydrogen out to comoving radii ~1.5 Mpc/h to marginally explain the data. Winds of this magnitude suppress the flux power spectrum by \~0.1 dex but have little effect on the distribution function or threshold crossing frequency. In light of the stringent demands on winds, we consider the alternative possibility that extended Lya emission from target galaxies replaces absorbed flux, but we conclude that this explanation is unlikely. Taking full advantage of the data coming from large telescopes and from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey will require more complete understanding of the galaxy proximity effect, careful attention to continuum determination, and more accurate numerical predictions, with the goal of reaching 5-10% precision on key cosmological quantities.

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arXiv2002

The Galaxy Proximity Effect in the Lyman-alpha Forest

Hydrodynamic cosmological simulations predict that the average opacity of the Ly-alpha forest should increase in the neighborhood of galaxies because galaxies form in dense environments. Recent observations (Adelberger et al. 2002) confirm this expectation at large scales, but they show a decrease of absorption at comoving separations Delta_r <~ 1 Mpc/h. We show that this discrepancy is statistically significant, especially for the innermost data point at Delta_r <= 0.5 Mpc/h, even though this data point rests on three galaxy-quasar pairs. Galaxy redshift errors of the expected magnitude are insufficient to resolve the conflict. Peculiar velocities allow gas at comoving distances >~ 1 Mpc/h to produce saturated absorption at the galaxy redshift, putting stringent requirements on any ``feedback'' solution. Local photoionization is insufficient, even if we allow for recurrent AGN activity that keeps the neutral hydrogen fraction below its equilibrium value. A simple ``wind'' model that eliminates all neutral hydrogen in spheres around the observed galaxies can marginally explain the data, but only if the winds extend to comoving radii ~1.5 Mpc/h.

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