Structure of the intergalactic medium

The Temperature Structure of the Warm-hot Intergalactic Medium

We study the temperature structure of the intergalactic medium (IGM) using a large cosmological N -body/SPH simulation. We employ a two-temperature model for the thermal evolution of the ionized gas, in which the relaxation process between electrons and ions is explicitly included. In the diffuse, hot IGM, the relaxation time is comparable to the age of the Universe and hence the electron tempe...

The growth of structure in the intergalactic medium

A stochastic adhesion model is introduced, with the purpose of describing the formation and evolution of mildly nonlinear structures, such as sheets and filaments, in the intergalactic medium (IGM), after hydrogen reionization. The model is based on replacing the overall force acting on the baryon fluid – as it results from the composition of local gravity, pressure gradients and Hubble drag – ...

Heating of the intergalactic medium due to structure formation

We estimate the heating of the intergalactic medium due to shocks arising from structure formation. Heating of the gas outside the collapsed regions, with small overdensities (n n̄b ≪ 200) is considered here, with the aid of Zel’dovich approximation. We estimate the equation of state of this gas, relating the density with its temperature, and its evolution in time, considering the shock heating ...

Structure and Evolution of the Intergalactic Medium: Conference Summary

Wasn’t this a fun meeting? Yes, except for the rain. This summary highlights four scientific themes of the 13 IAP conference, plus a “wishlist” of future projects for observers and theorists.

Intergalactic Medium