Analyzing Simulated Spectra of Cool Ionized Clouds in the Circumgalactic Medium

Galactic winds are targets of interest for studying galaxy evolution, for they provide information regarding star formation and the mass-metallicity relation. Astronomers use quasar absorption lines to study clouds of gas in the circumgalactic medium (CGM), which may yield information about galactic winds. However, due to the uncertain nature of quasar spectra, mock observations from hydrodynamic galaxy simulations prove to be useful tools for better understanding observational data. In this project, I create and analyze mock absorption-line spectra using data from the hydrodynamic galaxy simulation, CHOllA, to help constrain the CGM and provide useful information that facilitates the interpretation of quasar absorption-lines. I focus on the abundance of some commonly observed ions through gas of varying temperature, density, and line-of-sight velocity.