Constraining The Reionization History With QSO Absorption Spectra

Details Constraining The Reionization History With QSO Absorption Spectra Constraining The Reionization History With QSO Absorption Spectra

Aug 2006

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2006iaujd...7e..16g&link_type=abstract

The Universe at z > 6, 26th meeting of the IAU, Joint Discussion 7, 17-18 August 2006, Prague, Czech Republic, JD07, #16

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We use a semi-analytical approach to simulate absorption spectra of QSOs at high redshifts with the aim of constraining the cosmic reionization history. We consider two physically motivated and detailed reionization histories: (i) an Early Reionization Model (ERM) in which the intergalactic medium is reionized by PopIII stars at z~14, and (ii) a more standard Late Reionization Model (LRM) in which overlapping, induced by QSOs and normal galaxies, occurs at z~6. An example of simulated spectra is provided by FIG.1. From the analysis of current Lyα forest data at z<6, we conclude that it is impossible to disentangle the two scenarios, which fit equally well the observed Gunn-Peterson optical depth, flux probability distribution function and dark gap width distribution. At z>6, however, clear differences start to emerge which are best quantified by the dark gap width distribution. We find that 35 (zero) per cent of the lines of sight within 5.750Å in the rest frame of the QSO if re-ionization is not (is) complete at z>~6 (FIG.2). Similarly, the ERM predicts peaks of width ~1Å in 40 per cent of the lines of sight in the redshift range 6.0-6.6; in the same range, LRM predicts no peaks of width >0.8Å (FIG.3). We conclude that the dark gap and peak width statistics represent superb probes of cosmic reionization if about ten QSOs can be found at z>6.

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