Abstract
We present the Technicolor Dawn simulations, a suite of cosmological radiation hydrodynamic simulations of the first 1.2 billion yr. By modelling a spatially inhomogeneous ultraviolet background (UVB) on the fly with 24 frequencies and resolving dark matter haloes down to 108 M⊙ within 12 h-1 Mpc volumes, our simulations unify observations of the intergalactic and circumgalactic media, galaxies, and reionization into a common framework. The only empirically tuned parameter, the fraction fesc, gal(z) of ionizing photons that escape the interstellar medium, is adjusted to match observations of the Lyman-α forest and the cosmic microwave background. With this single calibration, our simulations reproduce the history of reionization; the stellar mass and star formation rate relation of galaxies; the number density and metallicity of damped Lyman-α absorbers (DLAs) at z ~ 5; the abundance of weak metal absorbers; the ultraviolet background amplitude; and the Lyman-α flux power spectrum at z = 5.4. The galaxy stellar mass and ultraviolet luminosity functions are underproduced by ≤ 2 ×, suggesting an overly vigorous feedback model. The mean transmission in the Lyman-α forest is underproduced at z < 6, indicating tension between measurements of the UVB amplitude and Lyman-α transmission. The observed Si IV column density distribution is reasonably well reproduced (~1σ low). By contrast, CIV remains significantly underproduced despite being boosted by an intense > 4 Ryd UVB. Solving this problem by increasing metal yields would overproduce both weak absorbers and DLA metallicities. Instead, the observed strength of high-ionization emission from high-redshift galaxies and absorption from their environments suggest that the ionizing flux from conventional stellar population models is too soft.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 2628-2649 |
| Number of pages | 22 |
| Journal | Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society |
| Volume | 480 |
| Issue number | 2 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Oct 1 2018 |
| Externally published | Yes |
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Keywords
- Dark ages
- First stars
- Galaxies: evolution
- Galaxies: formation
- Galaxies: high-redshift
- Intergalactic medium
- Quasars: absorption lines
- Reionization
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Astronomy and Astrophysics
- Space and Planetary Science
Cite this
Reionization in technicolor. / Finlator, Kristian; Keating, Laura; Oppenheimer, Benjamin D.; Dave, Romeel S; Zackrisson, Erik.
In: Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, Vol. 480, No. 2, 01.10.2018, p. 2628-2649.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Reionization in technicolor
AU - Finlator, Kristian
AU - Keating, Laura
AU - Oppenheimer, Benjamin D.
AU - Dave, Romeel S
AU - Zackrisson, Erik
PY - 2018/10/1
Y1 - 2018/10/1
N2 - We present the Technicolor Dawn simulations, a suite of cosmological radiation hydrodynamic simulations of the first 1.2 billion yr. By modelling a spatially inhomogeneous ultraviolet background (UVB) on the fly with 24 frequencies and resolving dark matter haloes down to 108 M⊙ within 12 h-1 Mpc volumes, our simulations unify observations of the intergalactic and circumgalactic media, galaxies, and reionization into a common framework. The only empirically tuned parameter, the fraction fesc, gal(z) of ionizing photons that escape the interstellar medium, is adjusted to match observations of the Lyman-α forest and the cosmic microwave background. With this single calibration, our simulations reproduce the history of reionization; the stellar mass and star formation rate relation of galaxies; the number density and metallicity of damped Lyman-α absorbers (DLAs) at z ~ 5; the abundance of weak metal absorbers; the ultraviolet background amplitude; and the Lyman-α flux power spectrum at z = 5.4. The galaxy stellar mass and ultraviolet luminosity functions are underproduced by ≤ 2 ×, suggesting an overly vigorous feedback model. The mean transmission in the Lyman-α forest is underproduced at z < 6, indicating tension between measurements of the UVB amplitude and Lyman-α transmission. The observed Si IV column density distribution is reasonably well reproduced (~1σ low). By contrast, CIV remains significantly underproduced despite being boosted by an intense > 4 Ryd UVB. Solving this problem by increasing metal yields would overproduce both weak absorbers and DLA metallicities. Instead, the observed strength of high-ionization emission from high-redshift galaxies and absorption from their environments suggest that the ionizing flux from conventional stellar population models is too soft.
AB - We present the Technicolor Dawn simulations, a suite of cosmological radiation hydrodynamic simulations of the first 1.2 billion yr. By modelling a spatially inhomogeneous ultraviolet background (UVB) on the fly with 24 frequencies and resolving dark matter haloes down to 108 M⊙ within 12 h-1 Mpc volumes, our simulations unify observations of the intergalactic and circumgalactic media, galaxies, and reionization into a common framework. The only empirically tuned parameter, the fraction fesc, gal(z) of ionizing photons that escape the interstellar medium, is adjusted to match observations of the Lyman-α forest and the cosmic microwave background. With this single calibration, our simulations reproduce the history of reionization; the stellar mass and star formation rate relation of galaxies; the number density and metallicity of damped Lyman-α absorbers (DLAs) at z ~ 5; the abundance of weak metal absorbers; the ultraviolet background amplitude; and the Lyman-α flux power spectrum at z = 5.4. The galaxy stellar mass and ultraviolet luminosity functions are underproduced by ≤ 2 ×, suggesting an overly vigorous feedback model. The mean transmission in the Lyman-α forest is underproduced at z < 6, indicating tension between measurements of the UVB amplitude and Lyman-α transmission. The observed Si IV column density distribution is reasonably well reproduced (~1σ low). By contrast, CIV remains significantly underproduced despite being boosted by an intense > 4 Ryd UVB. Solving this problem by increasing metal yields would overproduce both weak absorbers and DLA metallicities. Instead, the observed strength of high-ionization emission from high-redshift galaxies and absorption from their environments suggest that the ionizing flux from conventional stellar population models is too soft.
KW - Dark ages
KW - First stars
KW - Galaxies: evolution
KW - Galaxies: formation
KW - Galaxies: high-redshift
KW - Intergalactic medium
KW - Quasars: absorption lines
KW - Reionization
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85055186050&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85055186050&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1093/MNRAS/STY1949
DO - 10.1093/MNRAS/STY1949
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85055186050
VL - 480
SP - 2628
EP - 2649
JO - Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
JF - Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
SN - 0035-8711
IS - 2
ER -