Detection of extended He ii reionization in the temperature evolution of the intergalactic medium★

Autor:	Wallace L. W. Sargent, James S. Bolton, George D. Becker, Martin G. Haehnelt
Rok vydání:	2010
Předmět:	Physics Opacity 010308 nuclear & particles physics Astronomy and Astrophysics Astrophysics 01 natural sciences Temperature measurement Redshift Space and Planetary Science Intergalactic medium 0103 physical sciences 010303 astronomy & astrophysics Thermal balance Reionization
Zdroj:	Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. 410:1096-1112
ISSN:	0035-8711
DOI:	10.1111/j.1365-2966.2010.17507.x
Popis:	We present new measurements of the temperature of the intergalactic medium (IGM) derived from the Lyman-alpha forest over 2.0 ~12000 K at z ~ 2.8. This increase is not consistent with the monotonic decline in T0 expected in the absence of He II reionization. We therefore interpret the observed rise in temperature as evidence of He II reionization beginning at z >~ 4.4. The evolution of T0 is consistent with an end to He II reionization at z ~ 3, as suggested by opacity measurements of the He II Lyman-alpha forest, although the redshift at which T0 peaks will depend somewhat on the evolution of the temperature-density relation. These new temperature measurements suggest that the heat input due to the reionization of He II dominates the thermal balance of the IGM over an extended period with Delta_z >~ 1.
Databáze:	OpenAIRE
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