Photoionization Feedback in Low--Mass Galaxies at High Redshift

Abstract

The cosmic ultraviolet (UV) ionizing background impacts the formation of dwarf galaxies in the low-redshift universe (z=3) by suppressing gas infall into galactic halos with circular velocities up to v(circ)=75 km/s. Using a one-dimensional, spherically symmetric hydrodynamics code (Thoul & Weinberg 1995), we examine the effect of an ionizing background on low-mass galaxies forming at high redshifts (z>10). We find that the importance of photoionization feedback is greatly reduced, because (1) at high redshift, dwarf-galaxy sized objects can self-shield against the ionizing background, (2) collisional cooling processes at high redshift are more efficient, (3) the amplitude of the ionizing background at high redshift is lower, and (4) the ionizing radiation turns on when the perturbation that will become the dwarf galaxy has already grown to a substantial overdensity. We find that because of these reasons, gas can collect inside halos with circular velocities as low as v(circ)=10 km/s. This result has important implications for the reionization history of the universe.