A MODEL FOR THE DISTRIBUTION OF THE INTERGALACTIC MEDIUM

Abstract

The evolution and distribution of the intergalactic medium (IGM) in a universe dominated by cold dark matter with Omega(0) = 1 and h = 0.5 are investigated. Galaxies form and eject energy into the IGM from z about 20 up to the present, and the distribution of the IGM is dominated by large connected structures. The power spectrum and two-point correlation function of the IGM show a suppressed growth due to the energy injected from galaxies and the mass subtraction to form galaxies. The high-temperature regions of the IGM correspond to the low-density regions and the low-temperature regions correspond to the high-density regions. The temperature of the IGM increases from z = 1 to z = 0, while the prsssure decreases. The present temperature distribution shows a peak at about 10 million K. The mass fraction of the IGM with temperature below 100,000 K is negligible, indicating almost all the hydrogen is ionized.