FIREBall-2: The Faint Intergalactic Medium Redshifted Emission Balloon Telescope

Fluorescent Lyα Emission from the High-redshift Intergalactic Medium

We combine a high-resolution hydro-simulation of the ΛCDM cosmology with two radiative transfer schemes (for continuum and line radiation) to predict the properties, spectra and spatial distribution of fluorescent Lyα emission at z ∼ 3. We focus on line radiation produced by recombinations in the dense intergalactic medium ionized by UV photons. In particular, we consider both a uniform backgro...

Fireball Multi Object Spectrograph: As-built optic performances

Fireball (Faint Intergalactic Redshifted Emission Balloon) is a NASA/CNES balloon-borne experiment to study the faint diffuse circumgalactic medium from the line emissions in the ultraviolet (200 nm) above 37 km flight altitude. Fireball relies on a Multi Object Spectrograph (MOS) that takes full advantage of the new high QE, low noise 13 μm pixels UV EMCCD. The MOS is fed by a 1 meter diameter...

Intergalactic Medium

Simulations of the Intergalactic Medium

I present a review by epoch of baryons in the intergalac-tic medium (IGM), from the first star until today. Recent observations indicate a protracted period of reionization, suggesting multiple populations of reionizers; detection of these z ∼ > 6 sources is a key goal that is now coming within reach. The optical Lyman alpha forest (2 ∼ < z ∼ < 4) is well-described by the Fluctuating Gunn-Peter...

The thermal history of the intergalactic medium

At redshifts z2, most of the baryons reside in the smooth intergalactic medium which is responsible for the low column density Lyα forest. This photoheated gas follows a tight temperature-density relation which introduces a cut-off in the distribution of widths of the Lyα absorption lines (b-parameters) as a function of column density. We have measured this cut-off in a sample of nine high reso...