研究目的
Investigating the distribution and properties of Ca ii gas around galaxies to understand its role in the cosmic baryon cycle and its dependence on galaxy properties.
研究成果
The study concludes that Ca ii gas is present in galaxy halos up to scales comparable to their virial radius, with a distribution that follows a power-law profile. The total Ca ii mass in the halo is significantly larger than in the interstellar medium of the Milky Way, indicating that most Ca ii in the universe is in circum- and inter-galactic environments. The amount of Ca ii in halos is correlated with galaxy properties such as stellar mass and star formation rate, suggesting that star formation-driven outflows play a significant role in enriching the halo with Ca ii.
研究不足
The study is limited by the sensitivity of the SDSS spectra to weak absorption lines and the resolution of the SDSS instrumental setup, which prevents resolving different components of Ca ii absorption from individual galaxies. The analysis assumes a power-law distribution for the Ca ii column density, which may not capture all complexities of the gas distribution.
1:Experimental Design and Method Selection:
The study uses cross-correlation between the positions of foreground galaxies and flux decrements in the spectra of background quasars to trace Ca ii absorption. The technique involves statistical analysis to measure weak absorption lines.
2:Sample Selection and Data Sources:
Data from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) DR7, including about one million foreground galaxies and about 105 background quasars, are used. The sample selection ensures that the Ca ii absorption is not blended with that of our Galaxy.
3:List of Experimental Equipment and Materials:
The study utilizes spectra from the SDSS, with continuum estimates based on nonnegative matrix factorization (NMF) and median filters.
4:Experimental Procedures and Operational Workflow:
The analysis involves measuring the mean rest equivalent width of the Ca ii K line as a function of impact parameter from low-redshift galaxies. A matched-filter technique is used to convolve the residuals with the expected absorption line profile.
5:Data Analysis Methods:
The study employs geometric means for ensemble averages and inverse-variance weighting for noise reduction. The Ca ii column density is derived from the rest equivalent width measurements.
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