Numerical simulations of the intergalactic medium

The intergalactic medium at redshifts 2--6 can be studied observationally through the absorption features it produces in the spectra of background quasars. Most of the UV-absorption lines arise in mildly overdense regions, which can be simulated reliably with current hydrodynamical simulations. Comparison of observed and simulated spectra allows one to put contraints on the model's parameters.