Related papers: Astrophysics from the 21-cm background
We examine the prospects for studying the pre-reionization intergalactic medium (IGM) through the so-called 21 cm forest in spectra of bright high-redshift radio sources. We first compute the evolution of the mean optical depth for models…
The epoch of reionization probes the state of our universe when the very first stars formed and ionized the hydrogen atoms in the surrounding medium. Since the epoch has not yet been probed observationally, it is often called the "final…
We introduce a Python package called ECHO21 for modelling the global 21-cm signal from the dark ages through cosmic dawn to the end of reionization. Leveraging its analytical framework, ECHO21 generates a single model in…
We use the recent detection of He II absorption at $z=2.2-2.6$ in the line of sight of the quasar HS1700+64 to put bounds on the sources of ionization. We find that given the uncertainty in $\tauhgp$ and the model of absorption in the…
We draw attention to observational evidence indicating that a substantial fraction of the well-known cosmic celestial diffuse ultraviolet background radiation field is actually due not to dust-scattered starlight, but rather---considering…
The thermal history of the intergalactic medium is full of extremely useful data in the field of astrophysics and cosmology. In other words, by examining this environment in different redshifts, the effects of cosmology and astrophysics can…
By combining the data from surveys for HI 21-cm absorption at various impact parameters in near-by galaxies, we report an anti-correlation between the 21-cm absorption strength (velocity integrated optical depth) and the impact parameter.…
During the epoch of reionization (EoR), the 21-cm signal allows direct observation of the neutral hydrogen (HI) in the intergalactic medium (IGM). In the post-reionization era, this signal instead probes HI in galaxies, which traces the…
Ultra-light hidden-photon dark matter produces an oscillating electric field in the early Universe plasma, which in turn induces an electric current in its ionized component whose dissipation results in heat transfer from the dark matter to…
The redshifted 21-cm monopole is expected to be a powerful probe of the epoch of the first stars and galaxies ($10<z<35$). The global 21-cm signal is sensitive to the thermal and ionization state of hydrogen gas and thus provides a tracer…
One approach to extracting the global 21-cm signal from total-power measurements at low radio frequencies is to parametrize the different contributions to the data and then fit for these parameters. We examine parametrizations of the 21-cm…
The precise measurement of the sky-averaged HI absorption signal between 50 and 200 MHz is the primary goal of global 21-cm cosmology. This measurement has the potential to unravel the underlying physics of cosmic structure formation and…
The formation of the first stars is an exciting frontier area in astronomy. Early redshifts z ~ 20 have become observationally promising as a result of a recently recognized effect of a supersonic relative velocity between the dark matter…
Observational studies indicate that the intergalactic medium (IGM) is highly ionized up to redshifts just over 6. A number of models have been developed to describe the process of reionization and the effects of the ionizing photons from…
Upon an expansion of all of the searches for redshifted HI 21-cm absorption (0.0021 < z 5.19), we update recent results regarding the detection of 21-cm in the non-local Universe. Specifically, we confirm that photo-ionisation of the gas is…
This chapter addresses limitations to current 21-cm signal detection instruments, being related to the instrument, environment, signal processing or science, and what lies beyond the current horizon for 21-cm science, especially in the…
The redshifted 21 cm brightness distribution from neutral hydrogen is a promising probe into the cosmic dark ages, cosmic dawn, and re-ionization. LOFAR's Low Band Antennas (LBA) may be used in the frequency range 45 MHz to 85 MHz (30>z>16)…
Detecting the cosmic 21-cm signal during the Epoch of Reionisation and Cosmic Dawn will reveal insights into the properties of the first galaxies and advance cosmological parameter estimation. Until recently, the primary focus for…
The optical depth parameterisation is typically used to study the 21-cm signals associated with the properties of the neutral hydrogen (HI) gas and the ionisation morphology during the Epoch of Reionisation (EoR), without solving the…
We use a probabilistic method to compute the propagation of an ionization front corresponding to the re-ionization of the intergalactic medium in a LCDM cosmology, including both hydrogen and helium. The effects of radiative transfer…