CMBPol Mission Concept Study: Reionization Science with the Cosmic Microwave Background
Astrophysics
2008-11-25 v1
Abstract
We summarize existing constraints on the epoch of reionization and discuss the observational probes that are sensitive to the process. We focus on the role large scale polarization can play. Polarization probes the integrated optical depth across the entire epoch of reionization. Future missions such as Planck and CMBPol will greatly enhance our knowledge of the reionization history, allowing us to measure the time evolution of the ionization fraction. As large scale polarization probes high redshift activity, it can best constrain models where the Universe was fully or partially ionized at early times. In fact, large scale polarization could be our only probe of the highest redshifts.
Cite
@article{arxiv.0811.3918,
title = {CMBPol Mission Concept Study: Reionization Science with the Cosmic Microwave Background},
author = {Matias Zaldarriaga and Loris Colombo and Eiichiro Komatsu and Adam Lidz and Michael Mortonson and S. Peng Oh and Elena Pierpaoli and Licia Verde and Oliver Zahn},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:0811.3918},
year = {2008}
}