The COS CGM Compendium. IV. Effects of Varying Ionization Backgrounds on Metallicity Determinations in the z < 1 Circumgalactic Medium

Metallicity estimates of circumgalactic gas based on absorption-line measurements typically require photoionization modeling to account for unseen ionization states. We explore the impact of uncertainties in the extreme-ultraviolet background (EUVB) radiation on such metallicity determinations for the z < 1 circumgalactic medium. In particular, we study how uncertainties in the power-law slope of the EUV radiation, alpha(EUVB), from active galactic nuclei affect metallicity estimates in a sample of 34 absorbers with H I column densities between 15.25 < log(N-HI/cm(-2)) < 17.25 and measured metal ion column densities. We demonstrate the sensitivity of metallicity estimates to changes in the EUV power-law slope of active galactic nuclei, alpha(EUVB), at low redshift (z < 1), showing that derived absorber metallicities increase on average by approximate to 0.3 dex as the EUV slope is hardened from alpha(EUVB) = -2.0 to -1.4. We use Markov Chain Monte Carlo sampling of photoionization models with alpha(EUVB) as a free parameter to derive metallicities for these absorbers. The current sample of absorbers does not provide a robust constraint on the slope alpha(EUVB) itself; we discuss how future analyses may provide stronger constraints. Marginalizing over the uncertainty in the slope of the background, we find that the average uncertainties in the metallicity determinations increase from 0.08 to 0.14 dex when switching from a fixed EUVB slope to one that freely varies. Thus, we demonstrate that EUVB uncertainties can be included in ionization models while still allowing for robust metallicity inferences.

Automated summary

We explore the impact of uncertainties in the extreme-ultraviolet background radiation on the metallicity determinations of circumgalactic gas. We demonstrate the sensitivity of metallicity estimates to changes in the EUV power-law slope of active galactic nuclei. The current sample of absorbers does not provide a robust constraint on the slope itself.