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With physical wavelength $2\pi /k$, the Jeans length is $2\pi /k_J$, where the Jeans wavenumber is $\sqrt{4\pi G\rho }/c_s$. Linear pressure support dominates gravity below this length, whereas longer wavelengths can grow. In an expanding background the growth also depends on the Hubble damping term, so the static threshold does not by itself give the time dependence.

Assume optically thin photoionization equilibrium and an absorber depth of order its local Jeans length, $L\propto (f_{g}T/n_H{)}^{1/2}$, where $f_g$ is the local gas fraction. Then $N_{\mathrm{HI}}\simeq \alpha (T)n_H^{2}L/\Gamma \propto [\alpha (T)/\Gamma ](f_{g}T{)}^{1/2}{n}_H^{3/2}$. Solving for $n_H$ and substituting in $N_H=n_{H}L$ gives the displayed correction. Thus the ionized mass integral weights the neutral-hydrogen column-density distribution by $N_{\mathrm{HI}}^{1/3}$ rather than $N_{\mathrm{HI}}$. This model does not apply without modification to optically thick systems or arbitrary unconfined gas.