The signatures of large-scale temperature and intensity fluctuations in the Lyman α forest

摘要: It appears inevitable that reionization processes would have produced large-scale temperature fluctuations in the intergalactic medium. Using toy models and detailed heating histories from cosmological simulations of He II reionization, we study consequences inhomogeneous for Lyα forest. The impact physically well-motivated can be surprisingly subtle. In fact, show at level predicted by our do not give rise to detectable signatures types statistics been employed previously. However, because aliasing small-scale density power larger scale modes line-of-sight forest spectrum, earlier analyses were sensitive 3D with ≳30 comoving Mpc wavelengths - scales where are likely relatively largest. ongoing Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey (BOSS) aims measure spectrum forest, P F , a large sample quasars order avoid this aliasing. We find motivated alter an unity k ≲ 0.1 ―1 magnitude should easily BOSS. Fluctuations intensity ultraviolet background also significantly. These will make it possible BOSS thermal 2 < z 3 constrain sources ionizing background. Future spectroscopic surveys could extend measurement even higher redshifts, potentially detecting imprint hydrogen reionization.