A photoionization instability in the early intergalactic medium

Details A photoionization instability in the early intergalactic medium A photoionization instability in the early intergalactic medium

Sep 1992

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=1992natur.359...40h&link_type=abstract

Nature (ISSN 0028-0836), vol. 359, no. 6390, Sept. 3, 1992, p. 40-42. Research supported by NASA.

Mathematics

Logic

6

Intergalactic Media, Interstellar Gas, Ionized Gases, Photoionization, Gravitational Collapse, Hydrogen, Molecular Clouds, Neutrinos, Perturbation, Red Shift

Scientific paper

It is argued that any fairly uniform source of ionizing photons can be the cause of an instability in the pregalactic medium on scales larger than a photon path length. Underdense regions receive more ionizing energy per atom and reach higher temperature and entropy, driving the density down still further. Fluctuations created by this instability can lead to the formation of structures resembling protogalaxies and intergalactic clouds, obviating the need for gas clouds or density perturbations of earlier cosmological provenance, as is usually assumed in theories of galaxy and structure formation. Characteristic masses for clouds produced by the instability, with log mass in solar units plotted against log radius in kpc, are illustrated.

Affiliated with

Also associated with

No associations

Rating

A photoionization instability in the early intergalactic medium does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this scientific paper.

If you have personal experience with A photoionization instability in the early intergalactic medium, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and A photoionization instability in the early intergalactic medium will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-1769895