Astronomy and Astrophysics – Astronomy
Scientific paper
Jan 2011
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2011aas...21724901c&link_type=abstract
American Astronomical Society, AAS Meeting #217, #249.01; Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, Vol. 43, 2011
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Astronomy
Scientific paper
The important problem of possible disturbances in the Comsic Microwave Background (CMB) left by high n hydrogen transitions during the epoch of recombination has been intensively studied in the past decade. However the simplifying assumptions made in most of the studies may be misleading. We consider the problem from the thermodynamic point of view to show that (1) the available detailed calculations of hydrogen level populations and ensuing non-equilibrium effects (such as masing) for the ordinary HII regions are not applicable to the recombining expanding Universe; (2) taking into account the collisional interaction of neutral atoms with electrons and ions in computer simulations is crucially important for quantitative predictions of possible spectral disturbances. It appears, in particular, that a proper account for collisions (and the treatment of all the angular momentum sublevels separately) will show the possibility of not only emission but also absorption disturbances left in the CMB by the epoch of recombination. Our approach allows us to estimate only roughly the wavelength domains where the emission and absorption disturbances are anticipated. Challenging computer simulations taking into account collisions and considering the l-substates separately up to the Rydberg levels with n 200 are needed to make more accurate quantitative predictions. This project was supported by NSF/REU grant AST-0851892 and the Nantucket Maria Mitchell Association.
Cassell D.
Strelnitski Vladimir
No associations
LandOfFree
Enhanced Absorption and Emission in Hydrogen Lines at the Epoch of Recombination does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this scientific paper.
If you have personal experience with Enhanced Absorption and Emission in Hydrogen Lines at the Epoch of Recombination, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Enhanced Absorption and Emission in Hydrogen Lines at the Epoch of Recombination will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-1399294