HIGHLY IONIZED PLASMA IN THE HALO OF A LUMINOUS SPIRAL GALAXY NEAR z = 0.225

Journal Article · Thu Apr 01 04:00:00 EDT 2010 · Astrophysical Journal

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/712/2/1443· OSTI ID:21394177

Narayanan, Anand; Savage, Blair D

We present analyses of the physical conditions in the z(O{sub VI})=0.22496 and z(O{sub VI})=0.22638 multiphase absorption systems detected in the ultraviolet Hubble Space Telescope/STIS and FUSE spectra of the quasar H 1821+643 (m{sub V} = 14.2, z{sub em} = 0.297). Both absorbers are likely associated with the extended halo of a {approx}2L*{sub B} Sbc-Sc galaxy situated at a projected distance of {approx}116 h {sup -1}{sub 71} kpc from the sight line. The z = 0.22496 absorber is detected in C II, C III, C IV, O III, O VI, Si II, Si III, and H I (Ly alpha-Lytheta) at >3sigma significance. The components of Si III and Si II are narrow with implied temperatures of T {approx}< 3 x 10{sup 4} K. The low and intermediate ions in this absorber are consistent with an origin in a T {approx} 10{sup 4} K photoionized gas with [Si/H] and [C/H] of {approx}-0.6 dex. In contrast, the broader O VI absorption is likely produced in collisionally ionized plasma under nonequilibrium conditions. The z(O{sub VI})=0.22638 system has broad Ly alpha (BLA) and C III absorption offset by v = -53 km s{sup -1} from O VI. The H I and C III line widths for the BLA imply T = 1.1 x 10{sup 5} K. For non-equilibrium cooling we obtain [C/H] {approx}-1.5 dex and N(H) = 3.2 x 10{sup 18} cm{sup -2} in the BLA. The O VI, offset from the BLA with no detected H I or C III, is likely collisionally ionized at T {approx} 3 x 10{sup 5} K. From the observed multiphase properties and the proximity to a luminous galaxy, we propose that the z = 0.22496 absorber is an extragalactic analog of a highly ionized Galactic HVC, in which the O VI is produced in transition temperature plasma (T {approx} 10{sup 5} K) at the interface layers between the warm (T < 5 x 10{sup 4} K) HVC gas phase and the hot (T {approx}> 10{sup 6} K) coronal halo of the galaxy. The z = 0.22638 O VI-BLA absorber could be tracing a cooling condensing fragment in the nearby galaxy's hot gaseous halo.

• OSTI ID: 21394177
• Journal Information: Astrophysical Journal, Journal Name: Astrophysical Journal Journal Issue: 2 Vol. 712; ISSN ASJOAB; ISSN 0004-637X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS
ABSORPTION
COSMIC RADIO SOURCES
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
GALAXIES
IONIZATION
LINE WIDTHS
PHOTOIONIZATION
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
PLASMA
QUASARS
RADIATIONS
SORPTION
TELESCOPES
THERMODYNAMIC PROPERTIES
TRANSITION TEMPERATURE
ULTRAVIOLET RADIATION