Lyman alpha systems within hot galactic halos

Abstract

A hot gas halo is predicted by chemodynamical models during the early evolution of spheroidal galaxies. Cold condensations, arising from thermal instabilities in the hot gas, are expected to be embedded in the hot halo. In the early phases of the galaxy (t < 1 Gyr), a strong X-ray and EUV emission is produced by the extended hot gas distribution, ionizing the cold clouds. This self-irradiating two-phase halo model successfully explains several line ratios observed in QSO absorption-line systems, and reproduces the temperature distribution of Lyman-$\alpha$ clouds.