Understanding metal enrichment in the early
Universe through quasar spectroscopy

Speaker : Valentina D’Odorico

Abstract :

Chemical elements heavier than helium – commonly referred to as “metals”
in astrophysics – are synthesized by stars and distributed in the
surrounding medium through various feedback mechanisms. This process
plays a pivotal role in the baryon cycle of galaxies and is crucial for
understanding galaxy evolution. In this seminar, I will provide an overview
of how quasar absorption spectroscopy has been instrumental in studying
the properties of metals within the diffuse circumgalactic and intergalactic
media over the past two decades. I will particularly focus on observations
spanning the timescale between the epoch of Reionization and the socalled
cosmic noon at the peak of star formation, using state-of-the-art data
like the spectra of z~6 quasars from the XQR-30 survey. Additionally, I will
discuss the exciting challenges in the study of high redshift metal
enrichment and how next-generation extremely large telescopes will help
us address these issues.