How neutral is the intergalactic medium surrounding the redshift z=7.085 quasar ULAS J1120+0641?

被引：170

作者：

Bolton, J. S. ^{[1
]}

Haehnelt, M. G. ^{[2
,3
]}

Warren, S. J. ^{[4
]}

Hewett, P. C. ^{[2
,3
]}

Mortlock, D. J. ^{[4
]}

Venemans, B. P. ^{[5
]}

McMahon, R. G. ^{[2
,3
]}

Simpson, C. ^{[6
]}

机构：

[1] Univ Melbourne, Sch Phys, Parkville, Vic 3010, Australia

[2] Kavli Inst Cosmol, Cambridge CB3 0HA, England

[3] Univ Cambridge, Inst Astron, Cambridge CB3 0HA, England

[4] Univ London Imperial Coll Sci Technol & Med, Blackett Lab, Astrophys Grp, London SW7 2AZ, England

[5] European So Observ, D-85748 Garching, Germany

[6] Liverpool John Moores Univ, Astrophys Res Inst, Birkenhead CH41 1LD, Merseyside, England

来源：

MONTHLY NOTICES OF THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY | 2011年 / 416卷 / 01期

基金：

澳大利亚研究理事会;

关键词：

dark ages; reionization; first stars; intergalactic medium; quasars: absorption lines;

D O I：

10.1111/j.1745-3933.2011.01100.x

中图分类号：

P1 [天文学];

学科分类号：

0704 ;

摘要：

The quasar ULAS J1120+0641 at redshift z = 7.085 has a highly ionized near zone which is smaller than those around quasars of similar luminosity at z similar or equal to 6. The spectrum also exhibits evidence for a damping wing extending redward of the systemic Lya redshift. We use radiative transfer simulations in a cosmological context to investigate the implications for the ionization state of the inhomogeneous intergalactic medium (IGM) surrounding this quasar. Our simulations show that the transmission profile is consistent with an IGM in the vicinity of the quasar with a volume averaged HI fraction of < f(HI)> (V) greater than or similar to 0.1 and that ULAS J1120+0641 has been bright for 10(6)-10(7) yr. The observed spectrum is also consistent with smaller IGM neutral fractions, < fH(I)>(V) similar to 10(-3) to 10(-4), if a damped Lya system in an otherwise highly ionized IGM lies within 5 proper Mpc of the quasar. This is, however, predicted to occur in only similar to 5 per cent of our simulated sightlines for a bright phase of 10(6)-10(7) yr. Unless ULAS J1120+0641 grows during a previous optically obscured phase, the low age inferred for the quasar adds to the theoretical challenge of forming a 2 x 10(9)M(circle dot) black hole at this high redshift.

引用

页码：L70 / L74

页数：5

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