Are There Enough Ionizing Photons to Reionize the Universe by z=6?

dc.creatorGnedin, Nickolay Y.
dc.date2007-09-20
dc.date.accessioned2026-07-07T11:53:12Z
dc.date.available2026-07-07T11:53:12Z
dc.descriptionAn estimate for the number of ionizing photons per baryon as a function of redshift is computed based on the plausible extrapolation of the observed galaxy UV luminosity function and the latest results on the properties of the escape fraction of ionizing radiation. It is found that, if the escape fraction for low mass galaxies (Mtot<10^{11}Msun) is assumed to be negligibly small, as indicated by numerical simulations, then there are not enough ionizing photons to reionize the universe by z=6 for the cosmology favored by the WMAP 3rd year results, while the WMAP 1st year cosmology is marginally consistent with the reionization requirement. The escape fraction as a function of galaxy mass would have to be constant to within a factor of two for the whole mass range of galaxies for reionization to be possible within the WMAP 3rd year cosmology.
dc.descriptionsubmitted to ApJ. Comments and objections are welcome
dc.identifierhttps://arxiv.org/abs/0709.3308
dc.identifierhttp://arxiv.org/abs/0709.3308
dc.identifierAstrophys.J.673:L1-L4,2008
dc.identifierdoi:10.1086/527356
dc.identifier.urihttp://salesiana.dossiersoluciones.com/handle/123456789/204454
dc.subjectAstrophysics
dc.titleAre There Enough Ionizing Photons to Reionize the Universe by z=6?
dc.typetext

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