arXiv subjects

Ryan Cooke

Publications and source records attributed to Ryan Cooke.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2018

Measurement of the primordial helium abundance from the intergalactic medium

Almost every helium atom in the Universe was created just a few minutes after the Big Bang through a process commonly referred to as Big Bang Nucleosynthesis. The amount of helium that was made during Big Bang Nucleosynthesis is determined by the combination of particle physics and cosmology. The current leading measures of the primordial helium abundance (Y_P) are based on the relative strengths of H I and He I emission lines emanating from star-forming regions in local metal-poor galaxies. As the statistical errors on these measurements improve, it is essential to test for systematics by developing independent techniques. Here we report the first determination of the primordial helium abundance based on a near-pristine intergalactic gas cloud that is seen in absorption against the light of a background quasar. This gas cloud, observed when the Universe was just one-third of its present age (z_abs = 1.724), has a metal content ~100 times less than the Sun, and ~30 per cent less metals than the most metal-poor H II region currently known where a determination of the primordial helium abundance is afforded. We conclude that the helium abundance of this intergalactic gas cloud is Y = 0.250^{+0.033}_{-0.025}, which agrees with the Standard Model primordial value, Y_P = 0.24672 +/- 0.00017. Our determination of the primordial helium abundance is not yet as precise as that derived using metal-poor galaxies, but our method has the potential to offer a competitive test of physics beyond the Standard Model during Big Bang Nucleosynthesis.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2018

One percent determination of the primordial deuterium abundance

We report a reanalysis of a near-pristine absorption system, located at a redshift z_abs=2.52564 toward the quasar Q1243+307, based on the combination of archival and new data obtained with the HIRES echelle spectrograph on the Keck telescope. This absorption system, which has an oxygen abundance [O/H]=-2.769+/-0.028 (~1/600 of the Solar abundance), is among the lowest metallicity systems currently known where a precise measurement of the deuterium abundance is afforded. Our detailed analysis of this system concludes, on the basis of eight D I absorption lines, that the deuterium abundance of this gas cloud is log_10(D/H) = -4.622+/-0.015, which is in very good agreement with the results previously reported by Kirkman et al. (2003), but with an improvement on the precision of this single measurement by a factor of ~3.5. Combining this new estimate with our previous sample of six high precision and homogeneously analyzed D/H measurements, we deduce that the primordial deuterium abundance is log_10(D/H)_P = -4.5974+/-0.0052 or, expressed as a linear quantity, (D/H)_P = (2.527+/-0.030)x10^-5; this value corresponds to a one percent determination of the primordial deuterium abundance. Combining our result with a BBN calculation that uses the latest nuclear physics input, we find that the baryon density derived from BBN agrees to within 2 sigma of the latest results from the Planck CMB data.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2017

Discovery of the most metal-poor damped Lyman-alpha system

We report the discovery and analysis of the most metal-poor damped Lyman-alpha (DLA) system currently known, based on observations made with the Keck HIRES spectrograph. The metal paucity of this system has only permitted the determination of three element abundances: [C/H] = -3.43 +/- 0.06, [O/H] = -3.05 +/- 0.05, and [Si/H] = -3.21 +/- 0.05, as well as an upper limit on the abundance of iron: [Fe/H] < -2.81. This DLA is among the most carbon-poor environment currently known with detectable metals. By comparing the abundance pattern of this DLA to detailed models of metal-free nucleosynthesis, we find that the chemistry of the gas is consistent with the yields of a 20.5 M_sun metal-free star that ended its life as a core-collapse supernova; the abundances we measure are inconsistent with the yields of pair-instability supernovae. Such a tight constraint on the mass of the progenitor Population III star is afforded by the well-determined C/O ratio, which we show depends almost monotonically on the progenitor mass when the kinetic energy of the supernova explosion is E_exp > 1.5x10^51 erg. We find that the DLA presented here has just crossed the critical 'transition discriminant' threshold, rendering the DLA gas now suitable for low mass star formation. We also discuss the chemistry of this system in the context of recent models that suggest some of the most metal-poor DLAs are the precursors of the 'first galaxies', and are the antecedents of the ultra-faint dwarf galaxies.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2016

The primordial deuterium abundance of the most metal-poor damped Lyman-alpha system

We report the discovery and analysis of the most metal-poor damped Lyman-alpha (DLA) system currently known, which also displays the Lyman series absorption lines of neutral deuterium. The average [O/H] abundance of this system is [O/H] = -2.804 +/- 0.015, which includes an absorption component with [O/H] = -3.07 +/- 0.03. Despite the unfortunate blending of many weak D I absorption lines, we report a precise measurement of the deuterium abundance of this system. Using the six highest quality and self-consistently analyzed measures of D/H in DLAs, we report tentative evidence for a subtle decrease of D/H with increasing metallicity. This trend must be confirmed with future high precision D/H measurements spanning a range of metallicity. A weighted mean of these six independent measures provides our best estimate of the primordial abundance of deuterium, 10^5 (D/H)_P = 2.547 +/- 0.033 (log_10 (D/H)_P = -4.5940 +/- 0.0056). We perform a series of detailed Monte Carlo calculations of Big Bang nucleosynthesis (BBN) that incorporate the latest determinations of several key nuclear cross sections, and propagate their associated uncertainty. Combining our measurement of (D/H)_P with these BBN calculations yields an estimate of the cosmic baryon density, 100 Omega_B,0 h^2(BBN) = 2.156 +/- 0.020, if we adopt the most recent theoretical determination of the d(p,gamma)3He reaction rate. This measure of Omega_B,0 h^2 differs by ~2.3 sigma from the Standard Model value estimated from the Planck observations of the cosmic microwave background. Using instead a d(p,gamma)3He reaction rate that is based on the best available experimental cross section data, we estimate 100 Omega_B,0 h^2(BBN) = 2.260 +/- 0.034, which is in somewhat better agreement with the Planck value. Forthcoming measurements of the crucial d(p,gamma)3He cross section may shed further light on this discrepancy.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2015

The Primordial Abundance of Deuterium: Ionization correction

We determine the relative ionization of deuterium and hydrogen in low metallicity damped Lyman-alpha (DLA) and sub-DLA systems using a detailed suite of photoionization simulations. We model metal-poor DLAs as clouds of gas in pressure equilibrium with a host dark matter halo, exposed to the Haardt & Madau (2012) background radiation of galaxies and quasars at redshift z~3. Our results indicate that the deuterium ionization correction correlates with the H I column density and the ratio of successive ion stages of the most commonly observed metals. The N(N II) / N(N I) column density ratio provides the most reliable correction factor, being essentially independent of the gas geometry, H I column density, and the radiation field. We provide a series of convenient fitting formulae to calculate the deuterium ionization correction based on observable quantities. The ionization correction typically does not exceed 0.1 per cent for metal-poor DLAs, which is comfortably below the current measurement precision (2 per cent). However, the deuterium ionization correction may need to be applied when a larger sample of D/H measurements becomes available.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2015

Big Bang Nucleosynthesis and the Helium Isotope Ratio

The conventional approach to search for departures from the standard model of physics during Big Bang Nucleosynthesis involves a careful, and subtle measurement of the mass fraction of baryons consisting of helium. Recent measurements of this quantity tentatively support new physics beyond the standard model but, historically, this method has suffered from hidden systematic uncertainties. In this letter, I show that a combined measurement of the primordial deuterium abundance and the primordial helium isotope ratio has the potential to provide a complementary and reliable probe of new physics beyond the standard model. Using the recent determination of the primordial deuterium abundance and assuming that the measured pre-solar 3He/4He meteoritic abundance reflects the primordial value, a bound can be placed on the effective number of neutrino species, Neff(BBN) = 3.01 (+0.95 -0.76, with 95 per cent confidence). Although this value of Neff supports the standard model, it is presently unclear if the pre-solar 3He/4He ratio reflects the primordial value. New astrophysical measurements of the helium isotope ratio in near-pristine environments, together with updated calculations and experimental values of several important nuclear reactions (some of which are already being attempted), will lead to much improved limits on possible departures from the standard model. To this end, I describe an analysis strategy to measure the 3He I flux emitted from nearby low metallicity H II regions. The proposed technique can be attempted with the next generation of large telescopes, and will be easier to realize in metal-poor H II regions with quiescent kinematics.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2015

The most metal-poor damped Lyman alpha systems: An insight into dwarf galaxies at high redshift

In this paper we analyze the kinematics, chemistry, and physical properties of a sample of the most metal-poor damped Lyman-alpha systems (DLAs), to uncover their links to modern-day galaxies. We present evidence that the DLA population as a whole exhibits a `knee' in the relative abundances of the alpha-capture and Fe-peak elements when the metallicity is [Fe/H] ~ -2.0, assuming that Zn traces the build-up of Fe-peak elements. In this respect, the chemical evolution of DLAs is clearly different from that experienced by Milky Way halo stars, but resembles that of dwarf spheroidal galaxies in the Local Group. We also find a close correspondence between the kinematics of Local Group dwarf galaxies and of high redshift metal-poor DLAs, which further strengthens this connection. On the basis of such similarities, we propose that the most metal-poor DLAs provide us with a unique opportunity to directly study the dwarf galaxy population more than ten billion years in the past, at a time when many dwarf galaxies were forming the bulk of their stars. To this end, we have measured some of the key physical properties of the DLA gas, including their neutral gas mass, size, kinetic temperature, density, and turbulence. We find that metal-poor DLAs contain a warm neutral medium with T_gas ~ 9600 K predominantly held up by thermal pressure. Furthermore, all of the DLAs in our sample exhibit a subsonic turbulent Mach number, implying that the gas distribution is largely smooth. These results are among the first empirical descriptions of the environments where the first few generations of stars may have formed in the Universe.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2015

The History of R-Process Enrichment in the Milky Way

We investigate the production sites and the enrichment history of $r$-process elements in the Galaxy, as traced by the [Eu/Fe] ratio, using the high resolution, cosmological zoom-in simulation `Eris'. At $z=0$, Eris represents a close analog to the Milky Way, making it the ideal laboratory to understand the chemical evolution of our Galaxy. Eris formally traces the production of oxygen and iron due to Type-Ia and Type-II supernovae. We include in post-processing the production of $r$-process elements from compact binary mergers. Unlike previous studies, we find that the nucleosynthetic products from compact binary mergers can be incorporated into stars of very low metallicity and at early times, even with a minimum delay time of 100 Myr. This conclusion is relatively insensitive to modest variations in the merger rate, minimum delay time, and the delay time distribution. By implementing a first-order prescription for metal-mixing, we can further improve the agreement between our model and the data for the chemical evolution of both [$α$/Fe] and [Eu/Fe].We argue that compact binary mergers could be the dominant source of $r$-process nucleosynthesis in the Galaxy.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2014

Carbon-Enhanced Metal-Poor Stars: Relics from the Dark Ages

We use detailed nucleosynthesis calculations and a realistic prescription for the environment of the first stars to explore the first episodes of chemical enrichment that occurred during the dark ages. Based on these calculations, we propose a novel explanation for the increased prevalence of carbon-enhanced metal-poor (CEMP) stars with decreasing Fe abundance: The observed chemistry for the most metal-poor Galactic halo stars is the result of an intimate link between the explosions of the first stars and their host minihalo's ability to retain its gas. Specifically, high-energy supernovae produce a near solar ratio of C/Fe, but are effective in evacuating the gas from their host minihalo, thereby suppressing the formation of a second generation of stars. On the other hand, minihalos that host low-energy supernovae are able to retain their gas and form a second stellar generation but, as a result, the second stars are born with a supersolar ratio of C/Fe. Our models are able to accurately reproduce the observed distributions of [C/Fe] and [Fe/H], as well as the fraction of CEMP stars relative to non-CEMP stars as a function of [Fe/H] without any free parameters. We propose that the present lack of chemical evidence for very massive stars (>140 Msun), that ended their lives as a highly energetic pair-instability supernova, does not imply that such stars were rare or did not exist; the chemical products of these very massive first stars may have escaped from their host minihalo, and were never incorporated into subsequent generations of stars. Finally, our models suggest that the most Fe-poor stars currently known may have seen the enrichment from a small multiple of metal-free stars, and need not have been exclusively enriched by a solitary first star. These calculations support the idea that some of the surviving dwarf satellite galaxies of the Milky Way are relics of the first galaxies.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2013

Precision measures of the primordial abundance of deuterium

We report the discovery of deuterium absorption in the very metal-poor ([Fe/H] = -2.88) damped Lyman-alpha system at z_abs = 3.06726 toward the QSO SDSS J1358+6522. On the basis of 13 resolved D I absorption lines and the damping wings of the H I Lyman alpha transition, we have obtained a new, precise measure of the primordial abundance of deuterium. Furthermore, to bolster the present statistics of precision D/H measures, we have reanalyzed all of the known deuterium absorption-line systems that satisfy a set of strict criteria. We have adopted a blind analysis strategy (to remove human bias), and developed a software package that is specifically designed for precision D/H abundance measurements. For this reanalyzed sample of systems, we obtain a weighted mean of (D/H)_p = (2.53 +/- 0.04) x 10^-5, corresponding to a Universal baryon density100 Omega_b h^2 = 2.202 +/- 0.046 for the standard model of Big Bang Nucleosynthesis. By combining our measure of (D/H)_p with observations of the cosmic microwave background, we derive the effective number of light fermion species, N_eff = 3.28 +/- 0.28. We therefore rule out the existence of an additional (sterile) neutrino (i.e. N_eff = 4.046) at 99.3 percent confidence (2.7 sigma), provided that N_eff and the baryon-to-photon ratio (eta_10) did not change between BBN and recombination. We also place a strong bound on the neutrino degeneracy parameter, xi_D = +0.05 +/- 0.13 based only on the CMB+(D/H)_p observations. Combining xi_D with the current best literature measure of Y_p, we find |xi| <= +0.062. In future, improved measurements of several key reaction rates, in particular d(p,gamma)3He, and further measures of (D/H)_p with a precision comparable to those considered here, should allow even more stringent limits to be placed on new physics beyond the standard model.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2013

The explosion energy of early stellar populations: The Fe-peak element ratios in low metallicity damped Lyman-alpha systems

The relative abundances of the Fe-peak elements (Ti-Zn) at the lowest metallicities are intimately linked to the physics of core-collapse supernova explosions. With a sample of 25 very metal-poor damped Lyman-alpha systems, we investigate the trends of the Fe-peak element ratios with metallicity. For nine of the 25 DLAs, a direct measurement (or useful upper limit) of one or more of the Ti,Cr,Co,Ni,Zn/Fe abundance ratios could be determined from detected absorption lines. For the remaining systems (without detections), we devised a new form of spectral stacking to estimate the typical Fe-peak element ratios of the DLA population in this metallicity regime. We compare these data to analogous measurements in metal-poor stars of the Galactic halo and to detailed calculations of explosive nucleosynthesis in metal-free stars. We conclude that most of the DLAs in our sample were enriched by stars that released an energy of < 1.2 x 10^51 erg when they exploded as core-collapse supernovae. Finally, we discuss the exciting prospect of measuring Fe-peak element ratios in damped Lyman-alpha systems with Fe/H < 1/1000 of solar when 30-m class telescopes become available. Only then will we be able to pin down the energy that was released by the supernovae of the first stars.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2012

Near-pristine gas at high redshifts: a window on early nucleosynthesis

It has now become recognised that damped Lyman alpha systems play an important role in helping us unravel the origin of chemical elements. In this presentation, we describe the main results of a recently completed survey of the most metal-poor DLAs, aimed at complementing and extending studies of the oldest stars in the Galaxy. The survey has clarified a number of lingering issues concerning the abundances of C, N, O in the low metallicity regime, has revealed the existence of DLA analogues to Carbon-enhanced metal-poor stars, and is providing some of the most precise measures of the primordial abundance of Deuterium.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2012

A Broad Iron Line in LMC X-1

We present results from a deep Suzaku observation of the black hole in LMC X-1, supplemented by coincident monitoring with RXTE. We identify broad relativistic reflection features in a soft disc-dominated spectrum. A strong and variable power-law component of emission is present which we use to demonstrate that enhanced Comptonisation strengthens disc reflection. We constrain the spin parameter of the black hole by modelling LMC X-1's broad reflection features. For our primary and most comprehensive spectral model, we obtain a high value for the spin: a* = 0.97(+0.01,-0.13) (68 per cent confidence). However, by additionally considering two alternate models as a measure of our systematic uncertainty, we obtain a broader constraint: a* = 0.97(+0.02,-0.25). Both of these spin values are entirely consistent with a previous estimate of spin obtained using the continuum-fitting method. At 99 per cent confidence, the reflection features require a* > 0.2. In addition to modelling the relativistically broadened reflection, we also model a sharp and prominent reflection component that provides strong evidence for substantial reprocessing in the wind of the massive companion. We infer that this wind sustains the ionisation cone surrounding the binary system; this hypothesis naturally produces appropriate and consistent mass, time, and length scales for the cone structure.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2012

A new, precise measurement of the primordial abundance of Deuterium

The metal-poor damped Lyman alpha (DLA) system at z = 3.04984 in the QSO SDSSJ1419+0829 has near-ideal properties for an accurate determination of the primordial abundance of deuterium, (D/H)_p. We have analysed a high-quality spectrum of this object with software specifically designed to deduce the best fitting value of D/H and to assess comprehensively the random and systematic errors affecting this determination. We find (D/H)_DLA = (2.535 +/-0.05) x 10^(-5), which in turn implies Omega_b h^2 = 0.0223 +/- 0.0009, in very good agreement with Omega_b h^2 (CMB) = 0.0222 +/- 0.0004 deduced from the angular power spectrum of the cosmic microwave background. If the value in this DLA is indeed the true (D/H)_p produced by Big-Bang nucleosynthesis (BBN), there may be no need to invoke non-standard physics nor early astration of D to bring together Omega_b h^2 (BBN) and Omega_b h^2 (CMB). The scatter between most of the reported values of (D/H)_p in the literature may be due largely to unaccounted systematic errors and biases. Further progress in this area will require a homogeneous set of data comparable to those reported here and analysed in a self-consistent manner. Such an endeavour, while observationally demanding, has the potential of improving our understanding of BBN physics, including the relevant nuclear reactions, and the subsequent processing of 4He and 7Li through stars.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2012

A new candidate for probing Population III nucleosynthesis with carbon-enhanced damped Lyman-alpha systems

We report the identification of a very metal-poor damped Lyman-alpha system (DLA) at z_abs = 3.067295 that is modestly carbon-enhanced, with an iron abundance of ~1/700 solar ([Fe/H] = -2.84) and [C,O/Fe] ~ +0.6. Such an abundance pattern is likely to be the result of nucleosynthesis by massive stars. On the basis of 17 metal absorption lines, we derive a 2 sigma upper limit on the DLA's kinetic temperature of T_DLA <= 4700 K, which is broadly consistent with the range of spin temperature estimates for DLAs at this redshift and metallicity. While the best-fitting abundance pattern shows the expected hallmarks of Population III nucleosynthesis, models of high-mass Population II stars can match the abundance pattern almost as well. We discuss current limitations in distinguishing between these two scenarios and the marked improvement in identifying the remnants of Population III stars expected from the forthcoming generation of 30-metre class telescopes.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2011

The most metal-poor damped Lyman-alpha systems: Insights into chemical evolution in the very metal-poor regime

We present a high spectral resolution survey of the most metal-poor damped Lyman-alpha absorption systems (DLAs) aimed at probing the nature and nucleosynthesis of the earliest generations of stars. Our survey comprises 22 systems with iron abundance less than 1/100 solar; observations of seven of these are reported here for the first time. Together with recent measures of the abundances of C and O in Galactic metal-poor stars, we reinvestigate the trend of C/O in the very metal-poor regime and we compare, for the first time, the O/Fe ratios in the most metal-poor DLAs and in halo stars. We confirm the near-solar values of C/O in DLAs at the lowest metallicities probed, and find that their distribution is in agreement with that seen in Galactic halo stars. We find that the O/Fe ratio in very metal-poor (VMP) DLAs is essentially constant, and shows very little dispersion, with a mean [ ] = +0.39 +/- 0.12, in good agreement with the values measured in Galactic halo stars when the oxygen abundance is measured from the [O I] 6300 line. We speculate that such good agreement in the observed abundance trends points to a universal origin for these metals. In view of this agreement, we construct the abundance pattern for a typical very metal-poor DLA and compare it to model calculations of Population II and Population III nucleosynthesis to determine the origin of the metals in VMP DLAs. Our results suggest that the most metal-poor DLAs may have been enriched by a generation of metal-free stars; however, given that abundance measurements are currently available for only a few elements, we cannot yet rule out an additional contribution from Population II stars.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2010

A Carbon-enhanced Metal-poor Damped Lyman alpha System: Probing Gas from Population III Nucleosynthesis?

We present high resolution observations of an extremely metal-poor damped Lyman-alpha system, at z_abs = 2.3400972 in the spectrum of the QSO J0035-0918, exhibiting an abundance pattern consistent with model predictions for the supernova yields of Population III stars. Specifically, this DLA has [Fe/H] = -3.04, shows a clear `odd-even' effect, and is C-rich with [C/Fe] = +1.53, a factor of about 20 greater than reported in any other damped Lyman-alpha system. In analogy to the carbon-enhanced metal-poor stars in the Galactic halo (with [C/Fe] > +1.0), this is the first reported case of a carbon-enhanced damped Lyman-alpha system. We determine an upper limit to the mass of 12C, M(12C) < 200 solar masses, which depends on the unknown gas density n(H); if n(H) > 1 atom per cubic cm (which is quite likely for this DLA given its low velocity dispersion), then M(12C) < 2 solar masses, consistent with pollution by only a few prior supernovae. We speculate that DLAs such as the one reported here may represent the `missing link' between the yields of Pop III stars and their later incorporation in the class of carbon-enhanced metal-poor stars which show no enhancement of neutron-capture elements (CEMP-no stars).

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2010

A newly discovered DLA and associated Ly-alpha emission in the spectra of the gravitationally lensed quasar UM 673A,B

The sightline to the brighter member of the gravitationally lensed quasar pair UM 673A,B intersects a damped Lyman-alpha system (DLA) at z = 1.62650 which, because of its low redshift, has not been recognised before. Our high quality echelle spectra of the pair, obtained with HIRES on the Keck I telescope, show a drop in neutral hydrogen column density N(H I) by a factor of at least 400 between UM 673A and B, indicating that the DLA's extent in this direction is much less than the 2.7 kpc separation between the two sightlines at z = 1.62650. By reassessing this new case together with published data on other quasar pairs, we conclude that the typical size (radius) of DLAs at these redshifts is R ~ (5 +/- 3) kpc, smaller than previously realised. Highly ionized gas associated with the DLA is more extended, as we find only small differences in the C IV absorption profiles between the two sightlines. Coincident with UM 673B, we detect a weak and narrow Ly-alpha emission line which we attribute to star formation activity at a rate SFR >~ 0.2 M_solar/yr. The DLA in UM 673A is metal-poor, with an overall metallicity Z_DLA ~ 1/30 Z_solar, and has a very low internal velocity dispersion. It exhibits some apparent peculiarities in its detailed chemical composition, with the elements Ti, Ni, and Zn being deficient relative to Fe by factors of 2-3. The [Zn/Fe] ratio is lower than those measured in any other DLA or Galactic halo star, presumably reflecting somewhat unusual previous enrichment by stellar nucleosynthesis. We discuss the implications of these results for the nature of the galaxy hosting the DLA.

astro-ph.CO↗