X-ray absorption by the intergalactic medium
Name
50420123-MIT.pdf
Description
Full printable version
Size
9.86 MB
Format
Adobe PDF
Checksum (MD5)
86460b24cd42e9c6456708427fba683d
Author(s)
Fang, Taotao, 1970-
Advisor(s)
Claude R. Canizares.
Date Issued
2001
Publisher
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Abstract
I have studied the intergalactic medium (IGM) located in galaxy clusters and groups via the so-called "X-ray Forest" the X-ray absorption lines produced by the hot IGM. I gave a semi-analytic calculation of the X-ray forest distribution based on the Press-Schechter formalism. The warm-hot intergalactic medium - the IGM between 10⁵ - 10⁷ K - was investigated via hydrodynamic simulation. I analyzed the simulated spectra which were synthesized in a way similar to simulating the Lya forest and studied column density and the Doppler b-parameter distributions of highly-ionized metals. Finally, we studied X-ray spectra of two high-redshift quasars, S5 0836+710 and PKS 2149-306, obtained with the Chandra High Energy Transmission Grating Spectrometer (HETGS). While no absorption features were detected, a method of constraining the IGM via the X-ray forest theory was proposed. I also discuss constraining the IGM via the X-ray Gunn-Peterson test.
Description
Thesis (Ph. D.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Physics, 2001.
Includes bibliographical references (p. 145-155).
Subjects
Physics.
MIT Department
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Physics
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