The Cosmic Microwave Background and the Ionization History of the Universe

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dc.creatorLewis, Antony
dc.creatorWeller, Jochen
dc.creatorBattye, Richard
dc.date2006-06-22
dc.date2006-09-15
dc.date.accessioned2026-07-07T10:23:13Z
dc.date.available2026-07-07T10:23:13Z
dc.descriptionDetails of how the primordial plasma recombined and how the universe later reionized are currently somewhat uncertain. This uncertainty can restrict the accuracy of cosmological parameter measurements from the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB). More positively, future CMB data can be used to constrain the ionization history using observations. We first discuss how current uncertainties in the recombination history impact parameter constraints, and show how suitable parameterizations can be used to obtain unbiased parameter estimates from future data. Some parameters can be constrained robustly, however there is clear motivation to model recombination more accurately with quantified errors. We then discuss constraints on the ionization fraction binned in redshift during reionization. Perfect CMB polarization data could in principle distinguish different histories that have the same optical depth. We discuss how well the Planck satellite may be able to constrain the ionization history, and show the currently very weak constraints from WMAP three-year data.
dc.descriptionChanges to match MNRAS accepted version
dc.identifierhttps://arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0606552
dc.identifierhttp://arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0606552
dc.identifierMon.Not.Roy.Astron.Soc.373:561-570,2006
dc.identifierdoi:10.1111/j.1365-2966.2006.10983.x
dc.identifier.urihttp://salesiana.dossiersoluciones.com/handle/123456789/175752
dc.subjectAstrophysics
dc.titleThe Cosmic Microwave Background and the Ionization History of the Universe
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