Repository logo
 

Hydrogen reionization in the illustris universe

cam.issuedOnline2015-09-09
dc.contributor.authorBauer, A
dc.contributor.authorSpringel, V
dc.contributor.authorVogelsberger, M
dc.contributor.authorGenel, S
dc.contributor.authorTorrey, P
dc.contributor.authorSijacki, D
dc.contributor.authorNelson, D
dc.contributor.authorHernquist, L
dc.contributor.orcidSijacki, Debora [0000-0002-3459-0438]
dc.date.accessioned2018-10-10T10:44:28Z
dc.date.available2018-10-10T10:44:28Z
dc.date.issued2015
dc.description.abstractHydrodynamical simulations of galaxy formation such as the Illustris simulations have progressed to a state where they approximately reproduce the observed stellar mass function from high to low redshift. This in principle allows self-consistent models of reionization that exploit the accurate representation of the diffuse gas distribution together with the realistic growth of galaxies provided by these simulations, within a representative cosmological volume. In this work, we apply and compare two radiative transfer algorithms implemented in a GPU-accelerated code to the $106.5\,{\rm Mpc}$ wide volume of Illustris in postprocessing in order to investigate the reionization transition predicted by this model. We find that the first generation of galaxies formed by Illustris is just about able to reionize the universe by redshift $z\sim 7$, provided quite optimistic assumptions about the escape fraction and the resolution limitations are made. Our most optimistic model finds an optical depth of $\tau\simeq 0.065$, which is in very good agreement with recent Planck 2015 determinations. Furthermore, we show that moment-based approaches for radiative transfer with the M1 closure give broadly consistent results with our angular-resolved radiative transfer scheme. In our favoured fiducial model, 20\% of the hydrogen is reionized by redshift $z=9.20$, and this rapidly climbs to 80\% by redshift $z=6.92$. It then takes until $z=6.24$ before 99\% of the hydrogen is ionized. On average, reionization proceeds `inside-out' in our models, with a size distribution of reionized bubbles that progressively features regions of ever larger size while the abundance of small bubbles stays fairly constant.
dc.identifier.doi10.17863/CAM.30875
dc.identifier.eissn1365-2966
dc.identifier.issn0035-8711
dc.identifier.urihttps://www.repository.cam.ac.uk/handle/1810/283512
dc.language.isoeng
dc.publisherOxford University Press (OUP)
dc.publisher.urlhttp://dx.doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stv1893
dc.subjectradiative transfer
dc.subjectmethods: numerical
dc.subjectH II regions
dc.subjectgalaxies: high-redshift
dc.subjectintergalactic medium
dc.subjectdark ages, reionization, first stars
dc.titleHydrogen reionization in the illustris universe
dc.typeArticle
prism.endingPage3610
prism.issueIdentifier4
prism.publicationDate2015
prism.publicationNameMonthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
prism.startingPage3593
prism.volume453
pubs.funder-project-idScience and Technology Facilities Council (ST/L000725/1)
rioxxterms.licenseref.startdate2015-11-11
rioxxterms.licenseref.urihttp://www.rioxx.net/licenses/all-rights-reserved
rioxxterms.typeJournal Article/Review
rioxxterms.versionAM
rioxxterms.versionofrecord10.1093/mnras/stv1893

Files

Original bundle
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
Loading...
Thumbnail Image
Name:
1503.00734v2.pdf
Size:
4.63 MB
Format:
Adobe Portable Document Format
Description:
Accepted version
Licence
http://www.rioxx.net/licenses/all-rights-reserved
License bundle
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
No Thumbnail Available
Name:
DepositLicenceAgreement.pdf
Size:
417.78 KB
Format:
Adobe Portable Document Format