Astronomy Colloquium

The exchange of baryons between galaxies and their surrounding intergalactic medium (IGM) is a crucial but poorly constrained aspect of galaxy formation and evolution.I will present three surveys that use classical IGM absorption line techniques to better understand gas flows and the impact of environment on the life cycle of galaxies. Most of my talk will focus on a new detailed study of metal-enriched absorbing gas in the high-z (2<z<3) circumgalactic medium (CGM) using data from the Keck Baryonic Structure Survey (KBSS). I will highlight results on the size, kinematics, and thermal properties of circumgalactic gas which provide clear evidence of unbound metal-enriched gas within the halos of z~2 galaxies and demonstrate the CGM at cosmic noon requires constant heating or replenishment of warm gas. Collectively, these data suggest the CGM provides one of the best testing grounds for models of galaxy-scale outflows. Next, I will briefly show forthcoming results from the Cosmic Ultraviolet Baryon Survey (CUBS) which aims to understand the turn down in the cosmic star formation rate density through study of the CGM at 0.4<z<1.0 using HST/COS. I'll conclude with a short discussion of a new survey underway at Magellan to map the large-scale environment of galaxies at cosmic noon, the Lyman-alpha Tomography IMACS Survey (LATIS). Collectively, these surveys constrain the nature and sphere of influence of galaxy-scale outflows and intergalactic accretion, as well as the impact of environment on galaxies at cosmic noon and beyond.

https://youtu.be/Aax7gCCxKxo to watch live