The Metallicity of the Local IGM from the HST/STIS Spectrum of 3C273

Abstract

We present a preliminary study of the metallicity of low-redshift Lyman alpha absorbers from the HST/STIS spectrum of 3C273. Using a pixel-based shift-and-coadd technique, we compare observations to carefully-constructed mock quasar spectra from a cosmological hydrodynamic simulation. We place an upper limit of [C/H]<-1.5 at >90% confidence using two Ly-alpha absorbers with N_HI>10^14 cm^-2, from the fact that we see little absorption near the expected CIV positions, whereas the artificial spectra predict significant absorption. We assume a Haardt & Madau (quasar-based) ionizing background spectrum, but a softer spectrum results in a stronger constraint on the metallicity. With only two absorbers and various modeling uncertainties, it is too early to make a definitive determination of the diffuse IGM metallicity, but upcoming observations should improve constraints.

4 pages, to appear in the Proceedings of the Meeting on Gaseous Matter in Galactic and Intergalactic Space, XVIIth IAP Colloquium, Paris, June 2001