Constraints on Reionization from the Thermal History of the Intergalactic Medium | Zendy

Tom Theuns | Zendy; Joop Schaye | Zendy; Saleem Zaroubi | Zendy; TaeSun Kim | Zendy; P. Tzanavaris | Zendy; Bob Carswell | Zendy

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Constraints on Reionization from the Thermal History of the Intergalactic Medium

Author(s) -

Tom Theuns,

Joop Schaye,

Saleem Zaroubi,

TaeSun Kim,

P. Tzanavaris,

Bob Carswell

Publication year - 2002

Publication title -

the astrophysical journal

Language(s) - English

Resource type - Journals

SCImago Journal Rank - 2.376

H-Index - 489

eISSN - 1538-4357

pISSN - 0004-637X

DOI - 10.1086/339998

Subject(s) - reionization , redshift , quasar , astrophysics , lyman alpha forest , physics , intergalactic medium , spectral line , adiabatic process , intergalactic travel , thermal , line (geometry) , hydrogen line , astronomy , galaxy , quantum mechanics , geometry , mathematics , meteorology

The temperature of the diffuse, photo-heated intergalactic medium (IGM)depends on its reionization history because the thermal time scales are long.The widths of the hydrogen Lyman-alpha absorption lines seen in the spectra ofdistant quasars that arise in the IGM can be used to determine its temperature.We use a wavelet analysis of the Lyman-alpha forest region of quasar spectra todemonstrate that there is a relatively sudden increase in the line widthsbetween redshifts z=3.5 and 3.0, which we associate with entropy injectionresulting from the reionization of HeII. The subsequent fall-off in temperatureafter z~3.5, is consistent with a thermal evolution dominated by adiabaticexpansion. If, as expected, the temperature also drops rapidly after hydrogenreionization, then the high temperatures inferred from the line widths beforeHeII reionization imply that hydrogen reionization occurred below redshift z=9.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures. Accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journal Letter

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