Gas around galaxy haloes - III: hydrogen absorption signatures around galaxies and QSOs in the Sherwood simulation suite
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Peer-reviewed
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Modern theories of galaxy formation predict that galaxies impact on their gaseous surroundings, playing the fundamental role of regulating the amount of gas converted into stars. While star-forming galaxies are believed to provide feedback through galactic winds, Quasi-Stellar Objects (QSOs) are believed instead to provide feedback through the heat generated by accretion onto a central supermassive black hole. A quantitative difference in the impact of feedback on the gaseous environments of star-forming galaxies and QSOs has not been established through direct observations. Using the Sherwood cosmological simulations, we demonstrate that measurements of neutral hydrogen in the vicinity of star-forming galaxies and QSOs during the era of peak galaxy formation show excess Lyman-α absorption extending up to comoving radii of ∼150 kpc for star-forming galaxies and 300 − 700 kpc for QSOs. Simulations including supernovae-driven winds account for the absorption around star-forming galaxies but not QSOs.
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1365-2966
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Science and Technology Facilities Council (ST/K00333X/1)
Science and Technology Facilities Council (ST/M007065/1)
Science and Technology Facilities Council (ST/P000673/1)
Science and Technology Facilities Council (ST/L000636/1)
STFC (ST/M007073/1)
Science and Technology Facilities Council (ST/P002315/1)
Science and Technology Facilities Council (ST/R002452/1)