arXiv subjects

Michael O. Gonzalez

Publications and source records attributed to Michael O. Gonzalez.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2023

LIMFAST. I. A Semi-Numerical Tool for Line Intensity Mapping

We present LIMFAST, a semi-numerical code for simulating high-redshift galaxy formation and cosmic reionization as revealed by multi-tracer line intensity mapping (LIM) signals. LIMFAST builds upon and extends the 21cmFAST code widely used for 21 cm cosmology by implementing state-of-the-art models of galaxy formation and evolution. The metagalactic radiation background, including the production of various star-formation lines, together with the 21 cm line signal tracing the neutral intergalactic medium (IGM), are self-consistently described by photoionization modeling and stellar population synthesis coupled to the galaxy formation model. We introduce basic structure and functionalities of the code, and demonstrate its validity and capabilities by showing broad agreements between the predicted and observed evolution of cosmic star formation, IGM neutral fraction, and metal enrichment. We also present the LIM signals of 21 cm, Ly$α$, H$α$, H$β$, [OII], and [OIII] lines simulated by LIMFAST, and compare them with results from the literature. We elaborate on how several major aspects of our modeling framework, including models of star formation, chemical enrichment, and photoionization, may impact different LIM observables and thus become testable once applied to observational data. LIMFAST aims at being an efficient and resourceful tool for intensity mapping studies in general, exploring a wide range of scenarios of galaxy evolution and reionization and frequencies over which useful cosmological signals can be measured.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2023

LIMFAST. II. Line Intensity Mapping as a Probe of High-Redshift Galaxy Formation

The epoch of reionization (EoR) offers a unique window into the dawn of galaxy formation, through which high-redshift galaxies can be studied by observations of both themselves and their impact on the intergalactic medium. Line intensity mapping (LIM) promises to explore cosmic reionization and its driving sources by measuring intensity fluctuations of emission lines tracing the cosmic gas in varying phases. Using LIMFAST, a novel semi-numerical tool designed to self-consistently simulate LIM signals of multiple EoR probes, we investigate how building blocks of galaxy formation and evolution theory, such as feedback-regulated star formation and chemical enrichment, might be studied with multi-tracer LIM during the EoR. On galaxy scales, we show that the star formation law and the feedback associated with star formation can be indicated by both the shape and redshift evolution of LIM power spectra. For a baseline model of metal production that traces star formation, we find that lines highly sensitive to metallicity are generally better probes of galaxy formation models. On larger scales, we demonstrate that inferring ionized bubble sizes from cross-correlations between tracers of ionized and neutral gas requires a detailed understanding of the astrophysics that shape the line luminosity--halo mass relation. Despite various modeling and observational challenges, wide-area, multi-tracer LIM surveys will provide important high-redshift tests for the fundamentals of galaxy formation theory, especially the interplay between star formation and feedback by accessing statistically the entire low-mass population of galaxies as ideal laboratories, complementary to upcoming surveys of individual sources by new-generation telescopes.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2022

Probing Population III Initial Mass Functions with He II/H$α$ Intensity Mapping

We demonstrate the potential of line-intensity mapping to place constraints on the initial mass function (IMF) of Population III stars via measurements of the mean He II 1640A/H$α$ line-intensity ratio. We extend the 21cmFAST code with modern high-redshift galaxy-formation and photoionization models, and estimate the line emission from Population II and Population III galaxies at redshifts $5 \le z \le 20$. In our models, mean ratio values of He II/H$α\gtrsim 0.1$ indicate top-heavy Population III IMFs with stars of several hundred solar masses, reached at $z \gtrsim 10$ when Population III stars dominate star formation. A next-generation space mission with capabilities moderately superior to those of CDIM will be able to probe this scenario by measuring the He II and H$α$ fluctuation power spectrum signals and their cross-correlation at high significance up to $z\sim 20$. Moreover, regardless of the IMF, a ratio value of He II/H$α\lesssim 0.01$ indicates low Population III star formation and, therefore, it signals the end of the period dominated by this stellar population. However, a detection of the corresponding He II power spectrum may be only possible for top-heavy Population III IMFs or through cross-correlation with the stronger H$α$ signal. Finally, ratio values of $0.01 \lesssim$ He II/H$α$ $\lesssim 0.1$ are complex to interpret because they can be driven by several competing effects. We discuss how various measurements at different redshifts and the combination of the line-intensity ratio with other probes can assist in constraining the Population III IMF in this case.

astro-ph.GA↗