A model for the distribution of the intergalactic medium

Journal Article · Tue May 01 04:00:00 EDT 1990 · Astrophysical Journal; (USA)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1086/168700· OSTI ID:6709807

Ryu, Dongsu; Vishniac, E T; Chiang, Wwihwan ^[1]

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1. NASA/Fermilab Astrophysics Center, Batavia, IL (USA) Texas Univ., Austin (USA) IBM Corp., Kingston, NY (USA)

The evolution and distribution of the intergalactic medium (IGM) in a universe dominated by cold dark matter with Omega(0) = 1 and h = 0.5 are investigated. Galaxies form and eject energy into the IGM from z about 20 up to the present, and the distribution of the IGM is dominated by large connected structures. The power spectrum and two-point correlation function of the IGM show a suppressed growth due to the energy injected from galaxies and the mass subtraction to form galaxies. The high-temperature regions of the IGM correspond to the low-density regions and the low-temperature regions correspond to the high-density regions. The temperature of the IGM increases from z = 1 to z = 0, while the prsssure decreases. The present temperature distribution shows a peak at about 10 million K. The mass fraction of the IGM with temperature below 100,000 K is negligible, indicating almost all the hydrogen is ionized. 29 refs.

• OSTI ID: 6709807
• Journal Information: Astrophysical Journal; (USA), Journal Name: Astrophysical Journal; (USA) Vol. 354; ISSN ASJOA; ISSN 0004-637X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

640105* -- Astrophysics & Cosmology-- Galaxies
640106 -- Astrophysics & Cosmology-- Cosmology
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
BARYONS
COSMOLOGICAL MODELS
COSMOLOGY
DENSITY
EINSTEIN FIELD EQUATIONS
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
ELEMENTARY PARTICLES
ELEMENTS
EQUATIONS
FERMIONS
FIELD EQUATIONS
GALACTIC EVOLUTION
HADRONS
HYDROGEN
INTERGALACTIC SPACE
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
MICROWAVE RADIATION
NONLUMINOUS MATTER
NONMETALS
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
RADIATIONS
RELICT RADIATION
SPACE
TEMPERATURE DISTRIBUTION
UNIVERSE