Modeling quasar proximity zones in a realistic cosmological environment with a self-consistent light curve
Abstract
We study quasar proximity zones in a simulation that includes a self-consistent quasar formation model and realistic intergalactic medium (IGM) environments. The quasar host halo is 1013 M⊙ at z = 6, more massive than typical halos studied in previous work. Between 6 < z < 7.5, the quasar luminosity varies rapidly, with a mean magnitude of MUV, mean = -24.8 and the fluctuation reaching up to two orders of magnitude. Using this light curve to post-process the dense environment around the quasar, we find that the proximity zone size (Rp) ranges between 0.5 and 5 pMpc. We show that the light curve variability causes a similar degree of scatter in Rp as does the density fluctuation, both of which result in a standard deviation of ~0.3 pMpc. The Rp traces the light curve fluctuations closely but with a time delay of ~104 yr, breaking the correspondence between the Rp and the contemporaneous MUV. This also indicates that we can only infer quasar activity within the past ~104 yr instead of the integrated lifetime from Rp in the later part of cosmic reionization. Compared with the variable light curve, a constant light curve underestimates the Rp by 13 per cent at the dim end (MUV ~ -23.5), and overestimates the Rp by 30 per cent at the bright end (MUV ~ -26). By calculating the Rp generated by a number of quasars, we show that variable light curves predict a wider Rp distribution than lightbulb models, and readily explain the extremely small Rp values that have been observed.
- Publication:
-
Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
- Pub Date:
- February 2024
- DOI:
- 10.1093/mnras/stae172
- arXiv:
- arXiv:2309.11571
- Bibcode:
- 2024MNRAS.528.3730Z
- Keywords:
-
- radiative transfer;
- galaxies: high-redshift;
- intergalactic medium;
- quasars: supermassive black holes;
- Astrophysics - Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics;
- Astrophysics - Astrophysics of Galaxies
- E-Print:
- 15 pages, 12 figures, comments welcome