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Title: Measurement of the small-scale structure of the intergalactic medium using close quasar pairs

Journal Article · · Science
ORCiD logo [1];  [2]; ORCiD logo [3]; ORCiD logo [4]; ORCiD logo [5]; ORCiD logo [1]; ORCiD logo [3];  [6]; ORCiD logo [6]
  1. Institute of Astronomy, Cambridge, UK., Max-Planck-Institut für Astronomie, Königstuhl, Germany.
  2. Max-Planck-Institut für Astronomie, Königstuhl, Germany., Department of Physics, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, USA.
  3. Max-Planck-Institut für Astronomie, Königstuhl, Germany.
  4. Department of Astronomy, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA., Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA.
  5. University of California Observatories–Lick Observatory, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA, USA.
  6. Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA.

Using quasar pairs to measure smoothness Space between galaxies is filled with a tenuous gas known as the intergalactic medium (IGM). The presence of hydrogen atoms in the IGM at different redshifts imprints a series of absorption lines in the spectra of background quasars. Rorai et al. studied pairs of closely spaced quasars and quantified how similar their absorption lines are as a function of transverse separation and redshift. They thus assessed the smoothness of the IGM on relatively small scales—several times the size of a galaxy. The results constrain interactions between galaxies and the IGM, such as heating by ultraviolet photons. Science , this issue p. 418

Research Organization:
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Science (SC); National Science Foundation (NSF)
Grant/Contract Number:
AC02-05CH11231; AST-1010004
OSTI ID:
1441051
Alternate ID(s):
OSTI ID: 1393226
Journal Information:
Science, Journal Name: Science Vol. 356 Journal Issue: 6336; ISSN 0036-8075
Publisher:
American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)Copyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 32 works
Citation information provided by
Web of Science

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