CODEX Show Case 4
The complete science document (as it was prepared for Phase A , Feb. 2010) is available here in pdf format.
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Probing the interplay of galaxies and the intergalactic medium from which they form.
The formation of the first autonomous sources of radiation, stars and black holes, will have led to the heating, reionization and pollution of the intergalactic medium with metals. The sensitivity of CODEX to the expected weak absorption features of residual metals in the low-density intergalactic medium thus opens a window into this important period in the history of the Universe. CODEX willl allow us to study the interplay of galaxies and the intergalactic medium from which they form in unprecedented detail.
Figure 7.
Pictorial view of the set of multiple lines to probe the nature and effects of galactic winds on the intergalactic medium. The two white boxes illustrate how the CIV absorptions due to galactic winds may change with impact parameter. For a larger version of the figure, click on it.
Figure 8.
Detecting weak CIV lines with CODEX at the E-ELT and with UVES at the VLT.