%0 Generic %1 dodorico2016metals %A D'Odorico, V. %A Cristiani, S. %A Pomante, E. %A Carswell, R. F. %A Viel, M. %A Barai, P. %A Becker, G. D. %A Calura, F. %A Cupani, G. %A Fontanot, F. %A Haehnelt, M. G. %A Kim, T-S. %A Miralda-Escude, J. %A Rorai, A. %A Tescari, E. %A Vanzella, E. %D 2016 %K cgm igm metallicity %T Metals in the z~3 intergalactic medium: results from an ultra-high signal-to-noise ratio UVES quasar spectrum %U http://arxiv.org/abs/1608.06116 %X In this work, we investigate the abundance and distribution of metals in the intergalactic medium (IGM) at $z 2.8$ through the analysis of an ultra-high signal-to-noise ratio UVES spectrum of the quasar HE0940-1050. In the CIV forest, our deep spectrum is sensitive at $3\,\sigma$ to lines with column density down to $N_CIV 11.4$ and in 60 percent of the considered redshift range down to $\simeq11.1$. In our sample, all HI lines with $N_HI 14.8$ show an associated CIV absorption. In the range $14.0 N_HI <14.8$, 43 percent of HI lines has an associated CIV absorption. At $N_HI < 14.0$, the detection rates drop to $<10$ percent, possibly due to our sensitivity limits and not to an actual variation of the gas abundance properties. In the range $N_HI 14$, we observe a fraction of HI lines with detected CIV a factor of 2 larger than the fraction of HI lines lying in the circum-galactic medium (CGM) of relatively bright Lyman-break galaxies hosted by dark matter halos with $M\sim10^12$ M$_ødot$ (Rudie et al. 2012). The comparison of our results with the output of a grid of photoionization models and of two cosmological simulations implies that the volume filling factor of the IGM gas enriched to a metallicity $Z/Z_ødot -3$ should be of the order of $10-13$ percent. In conclusion, our results favour a scenario in which metals are found also outside the CGM of bright star-forming galaxies, possibly due to pollution by lower mass objects and/or to an early enrichment by the first sources.

@misc{dodorico2016metals, abstract = {In this work, we investigate the abundance and distribution of metals in the intergalactic medium (IGM) at $\langle z \rangle \simeq 2.8$ through the analysis of an ultra-high signal-to-noise ratio UVES spectrum of the quasar HE0940-1050. In the CIV forest, our deep spectrum is sensitive at $3\,\sigma$ to lines with column density down to $\log N_{\rm CIV} \simeq 11.4$ and in 60 percent of the considered redshift range down to $\simeq11.1$. In our sample, all HI lines with $\log N_{\rm HI} \ge 14.8$ show an associated CIV absorption. In the range $14.0 \le \log N_{\rm HI} <14.8$, 43 percent of HI lines has an associated CIV absorption. At $\log N_{\rm HI} < 14.0$, the detection rates drop to $<10$ percent, possibly due to our sensitivity limits and not to an actual variation of the gas abundance properties. In the range $\log N_{\rm HI} \ge 14$, we observe a fraction of HI lines with detected CIV a factor of 2 larger than the fraction of HI lines lying in the circum-galactic medium (CGM) of relatively bright Lyman-break galaxies hosted by dark matter halos with $\langle M\rangle \sim10^{12}$ M$_{\odot}$ (Rudie et al. 2012). The comparison of our results with the output of a grid of photoionization models and of two cosmological simulations implies that the volume filling factor of the IGM gas enriched to a metallicity $\log Z/Z_{\odot} \ge -3$ should be of the order of $\sim 10-13$ percent. In conclusion, our results favour a scenario in which metals are found also outside the CGM of bright star-forming galaxies, possibly due to pollution by lower mass objects and/or to an early enrichment by the first sources.}, added-at = {2016-08-23T10:26:43.000+0200}, author = {D'Odorico, V. and Cristiani, S. and Pomante, E. and Carswell, R. F. and Viel, M. and Barai, P. and Becker, G. D. and Calura, F. and Cupani, G. and Fontanot, F. and Haehnelt, M. G. and Kim, T-S. and Miralda-Escude, J. and Rorai, A. and Tescari, E. and Vanzella, E.}, biburl = {https://www.bibsonomy.org/bibtex/21a12c227920101ee7225673be775a921/miki}, description = {[1608.06116] Metals in the z~3 intergalactic medium: results from an ultra-high signal-to-noise ratio UVES quasar spectrum}, interhash = {774e99996054b1331200eea84ea3c10e}, intrahash = {1a12c227920101ee7225673be775a921}, keywords = {cgm igm metallicity}, note = {cite arxiv:1608.06116Comment: 23 pages, 28 figures. Submitted to MNRAS (revised version after first referee report)}, timestamp = {2016-08-23T10:26:43.000+0200}, title = {Metals in the z~3 intergalactic medium: results from an ultra-high signal-to-noise ratio UVES quasar spectrum}, url = {http://arxiv.org/abs/1608.06116}, year = 2016 }