Related papers: Boosting the cosmic 21-cm signal with exotic Lyman…
Beyond reionization epoch cosmic hydrogen is neutral and can be directly observed through its 21 cm line signal. If dark matter (DM) decays or annihilates the corresponding energy input affects the hydrogen kinetic temperature and ionized…
Allowing for enhanced Ly$\alpha$ photon line emission from Population III dominated stellar systems in the first forming galaxies, we show the 21-cm cosmic dawn signal at $10<z<30$ may substantially differ from standard scenarios. Energy…
The global 21-cm signal from the cosmic dawn is affected by a variety of heating and cooling processes. We investigate the impact of heating due to Lyman-$\alpha$ (Ly~$\alpha$) photons on the global 21-cm signal at cosmic dawn using an…
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 tentative detection by the EDGES experiment of a global 21-cm absorption trough centered at redshift 17 opens up the opportunity to study the birth of the first luminous sources, the intensity of radiation backgrounds at cosmic dawn,…
The redshifted 21cm signal from the Cosmic Dawn is expected to provide unprecedented insights into early Universe astrophysics and cosmology. Here we explore how dark matter can heat the intergalactic medium before the first galaxies,…
We investigate the effects of warm dark matter (WDM) on the cosmic 21-cm signal. If dark matter exists as WDM instead of cold dark matter (CDM), its non-negligible velocities can inhibit the formation of low-mass halos that normally form…
The EDGES experiment recently announced evidence for a broad absorption feature in the sky-averaged radio spectrum around 78 MHz, as may result from absorption in the 21 cm line by neutral hydrogen at z~15-20. If confirmed, one implication…
The Lyman-$\alpha$ photons couple the spin temperature of neutral hydrogen (HI) to the kinetic temperature during the era of cosmic dawn. During this process, they also exchange energy with the medium, heating and cooling the HI. In…
Prior to the epoch of full reionization, the intergalactic medium and gravitationally collapsed systems will be detectable in 21-cm radiation. Physical mechanisms that would produce a 21-cm signature are discussed. These include Lya…
We examine the maximum possible strength of the global 21-cm absorption dip on the Cosmic Background Radiation at high-redshift caused by the atomic intergalactic medium, when the Lyman-$\alpha$ coupling is maximum, assuming no exotic…
The cosmic radio-frequency spectrum is expected to show a strong absorption signal corresponding to the 21-centimetre-wavelength transition of atomic hydrogen around redshift 20, which arises from Lyman-alpha radiation from some of the…
The redshifted 21cm signal from the Cosmic Dawn is expected to provide unprecedented insights into early Universe astrophysics and cosmology. Here, we briefly summarize how decaying dark matter can heat the intergalactic medium before the…
We derive new constraints on models of decaying and annihilating dark matter (DM) by requiring that the energy injected into the intergalactic medium (IGM) not overheat it at late times, when measurements of the Lyman-$\alpha$ forest…
The 21-cm signal from neutral hydrogen serves as a critical tool for unraveling the astrophysical processes that shaped cosmic dawn and the epoch of reionization. We explore the usually overlooked impact of re-scattering of 21-cm photons…
The recent EDGES collaboration detection of an absorption signal at a central frequency of $\nu = 78 \pm 1$ MHz points to the presence of a significant Lyman-$\alpha$ background by a redshift of $z=18$. The timing of this signal constrains…
Measurements of the temperature of the baryons at the end of the cosmic dark ages can potentially set very precise constraints on energy injection from exotic sources, such as annihilation or decay of the dark matter. However, additional…
In the standard cosmology, it is believed that there are two relatively weak and distinct band-limited absorption features, with the first absorption minima near 20 MHz ($z\sim70$) and the other minima at higher frequencies between 50-110…
We are approaching a new era to probe the 21-cm neutral hydrogen signal from the period of cosmic dawn. This signal offers a unique window to the virgin Universe, e.g., to study dark matter models with different small-scale behaviours. The…
The axion is a hypothetical elementary particle that could solve the long-standing strong CP problem in particle physics and the dark matter mystery in the cosmos. Due to the stimulation of the ambient photons, the axion dark matter decay…