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The effect of cosmic magnetic fields on the metagalactic ionization background inferred from the Lyman α forest

Chongchitnan, Sirichai; Meiksin, Avery

Authors

Sirichai Chongchitnan

Avery Meiksin



Abstract

The sources which reionized the intergalactic medium by redshift ̃6 are still unknown. A severe constraint on the ionization process is the low emissivity required to maintain the ionization in the Lya forest. Simulation-calibrated observations suggest a production rate of at most only a few photons per baryon. In this work, we present a new solution to this 'photonstarvation' problem using a weak background of cosmic magnetic fields, which may be present as a consequence of early-Universe physics and subsequent magneto-hydrodynamical amplification. If present, such magnetic fields can induce density perturbations which are dominant on scales comparable to those probed by measurements of hydrogen-absorption lines at redshifts z ̃ 2-5. We show that a subnanoGauss magnetic field, coherent on scale ̃1Mpc with an almost scale-invariant spectrum, is sufficient to produce significant impact on the effective optical depth, the appearance of the Lyα forest on quasar spectra, the pixel-flux statistics and the power spectrum of transmitted flux. We also show that such magnetic field signatures are effectively erased when the metagalactic photoionization rate is increased, hence relaxing the constraint on the cosmic photon budget available for reionization. © 2013 The Authors Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Royal Astronomical Society.

Citation

Chongchitnan, S., & Meiksin, A. (2014). The effect of cosmic magnetic fields on the metagalactic ionization background inferred from the Lyman α forest. Monthly notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 437(4), 3639-3646. https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stt2169

Journal Article Type Article
Acceptance Date Nov 5, 2013
Online Publication Date Dec 3, 2013
Publication Date Feb 1, 2014
Deposit Date Apr 12, 2016
Publicly Available Date Mar 28, 2024
Journal Monthly notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Print ISSN 0035-8711
Electronic ISSN 1365-2966
Publisher Oxford University Press
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
Volume 437
Issue 4
Pages 3639-3646
DOI https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stt2169
Keywords Intergalactic medium; Galaxies : magnetic fields
Public URL https://hull-repository.worktribe.com/output/435765
Publisher URL http://mnras.oxfordjournals.org/content/437/4/3639
Additional Information This article has been accepted for publication in Monthly notices of the Royal Astronomical Society ©: 2013 The Author Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Royal Astronomical Society. All rights reserved.

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Copyright Statement
This article has been accepted for publication in Monthly notices of the Royal Astronomical Society ©: 2013 The Author Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Royal Astronomical Society. All rights reserved.






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