Probing large-scale UV background inhomogeneity associated with quasars using metal absorption - Archive ouverte HAL
Article Dans Une Revue Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society Année : 2021

Probing large-scale UV background inhomogeneity associated with quasars using metal absorption

Résumé

We study large-scale UV background inhomogeneity in three-dimensions associated with the observed quasar populations at high redshift. We do this by measuring metal absorption through quasar absorption spectrum stacking as a function distance to closest quasar in SDSS-IV/eBOSS on 10 s of comoving megaparsec scales. We study both intergalactic medium absorbers and mixed circumgalactic medium absorbers and probe absorption in O vi, C iv, and Si iv, and Si iii. Overall, stronger high ionization species absorption is seen closer to quasars at 2.4 < z < 3.1. O vi absorption shows a particularly strong change, with effects in C iv evident in some cases, and more marginal effects in Si iii and Si iv. We further study 2.05 < z < 2.4 (with weak signs of increasing homogeneity with time) and explore the study of metal absorption as a function of integrated SDSS-r band flux quasar flux (yielding consistent but less significant results). While the metal absorption does show sensitivity to large-scale 3D quasar proximity, the current incomplete quasar samples limit detailed interpretation. This work does, however, demonstrate that UV background inhomogeneities exist on scales of several 10 s of comoving megaparsecs associated with quasars and that they can be measured with precision by examining metal absorption in the intergalactic medium.
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Dates et versions

hal-03086810 , version 1 (05-05-2023)

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Sean Morrison, Matthew M. Pieri, Debopam Som, Ignasi Pérez-Ràfols. Probing large-scale UV background inhomogeneity associated with quasars using metal absorption. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 2021, 506 (4), pp.5750-5763. ⟨10.1093/mnras/stab2091⟩. ⟨hal-03086810⟩
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