Skip to main content
Log in

Chemical inhomogeneity of the post-reionization universe

  • Published:
Astrophysical Bulletin Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The statistical properties of the spatial distribution of metals in the intergalactic medium are analyzed during the initial stages of its enrichment, when mixing is determined by the Kelvin-Helmholtz and Rayleigh-Taylor instabilities. The saturation of instabilities due to the damping of relative motions of gaseous flows leads to an incomplete mixing, hence on the small scale there appear regions with high (i.e., close to the initial) metallicity. A comparison with observational data shows that in the “post-reionization” Universe (z < 5) the irregularity of the metal distribution exhibits the features, characteristic of mixing with saturation of hydrodynamic instabilities.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. A. Songaila, Astrophys. J. 561, L153 (2001).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  2. B. Nath, and N. Trentham, Monthly Notices Roy. Astronom. Soc. 291, 505 (1997).

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  3. A. Ferrara, M. Pettini, and Yu. A. Shchekinov, Monthly Notices Roy. Astronom. Soc. 319, 539 (2000).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  4. P. Madau, A. Ferrara, and M. Rees, Astrophys. J. 555, 92 (2001).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  5. S. Yu. Dedikov and Yu. A. Shchekinov, Astronomy Reports 48, 9 (2004).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  6. J. Schaye, R. F. Carswell, and T.-S. Kim, Monthly Notices Roy. Astronom. Soc. 379, 1169 (2007).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  7. R. I. Klein, C. F. McKee, and P. Colella, Astrophys. J. 420, 213, (1994).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  8. E. E. Matvienko and Yu. A. Shchekinov, Astronomy Reports 84, 109 (2007).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  9. M. A. de Avillez and M.-M. Mac Low, Astrophys. J. 581, 1047 (2002).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to E. O. Vasiliev.

Additional information

Original Russian Text © E.O. Vasil’ev, S.Yu. Dedikov, Yu.A. Shchekinov, 2009, published in Astrofizicheskij Byulleten, 2009, Vol. 64, No. 4, pp. 333–340.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Vasiliev, E.O., Dedikov, S.Y. & Shchekinov, Y.A. Chemical inhomogeneity of the post-reionization universe. Astrophys. Bull. 64, 317–324 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1134/S1990341309040014

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1134/S1990341309040014

Keywords

Navigation