Abstract
The intergalactic medium has contained, and still does, most of the matter in the universe. Galaxies form out of matter that originates from the intergalactic medium. The radiation from stars in galaxies plays an essential role in writing the ionization and thermal histories of the intergalactic medium. Galaxies return matter back to the intergalactic medium in the form of galactic winds powered by stellar winds and supernova explosions that in addition transport energy and metals. The various forms of feedback exerted on the intergalactic medium by galaxies have profound effects on subsequent galaxy formation. This two-way interaction between galaxies and the intergalactic medium is the primary driver of the formation and evolution of both. This chapter synthesizes our current knowledge of this interaction, focusing mainly on the evolution of the intergalactic medium. While it covers the entire redshift range from z = 1,100 to z = 0, the content is heavily skewed toward lower redshift, reflecting the current state of knowledge.
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Acknowledgments
I would like to thank my collaborators who have made indispensable contributions to many of the works on which this review is substantially based, including Eliza Chisari Taotao Fang, Patrick McDonald, Jordi Miralda-Escude, Kentaro Nagamine, Jeremiah P. Ostriker, Michael Rauch, Hy Trac, and John Wise.
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Cen, R. (2013). The Intergalactic Medium. In: Oswalt, T.D., Keel, W.C. (eds) Planets, Stars and Stellar Systems. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-5609-0_12
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