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Reproducing the kinematics of damped Lyman α systems

Accepted version
Peer-reviewed

Type

Article

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Authors

Bird, S 
Neeleman, M 
Genel, S 
Vogelsberger, M 

Abstract

We examine the kinematic structure of Damped Lyman-alpha Systems (DLAs) in a series of cosmological hydrodynamic simulations using the AREPO code. We are able to match the distribution of velocity widths of associated low ionisation metal absorbers substantially better than earlier work. Our simulations produce a population of DLAs dominated by halos with virial velocities around 70 km/s, consistent with a picture of relatively small, faint objects. In addition, we reproduce the observed correlation between velocity width and metallicity and the equivalent width distribution of SiII. Some discrepancies of moderate statistical significance remain; too many of our spectra show absorption concentrated at the edge of the profile and there are slight differences in the exact shape of the velocity width distribution. We show that the improvement over previous work is mostly due to our strong feedback from star formation and our detailed modelling of the metal ionisation state.

Description

Keywords

galaxies: formation, intergalactic medium, cosmology: theory

Journal Title

Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

Conference Name

Journal ISSN

0035-8711
1365-2966

Volume Title

447

Publisher

Oxford University Press (OUP)
Sponsorship
Science and Technology Facilities Council (ST/K000985/1)