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arXiv 0905.1715astro-ph.CO
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红移星系际~ 3 He +8.7GHz超精细吸收

Redshifted intergalactic 3He+ 8.7 GHz hyperfine absorption

Matthew McQuinn, Eric R. Switzer

摘要:

受最近对星系际氢红移21 cm发射的兴趣的激发,我们研究了^3 He ^+的8.7 GHz ^2 S_{1/2} F=0-1超精细跃迁。虽然3 He相对于氢的原始丰度为10^-5,但超精细自发衰变率要大680倍。此外,在与^3He^+跃迁相关的频率处,天线温度比z>6 21 cm发射的天线温度低得多。我们发现,这条8.7 GHz的线在星系际介质的自旋温度约为宇宙微波背景温度,这样,这种转变是最好的观察吸收高红移,射电明亮的类星体。我们表明,星系际8.7 GHz的吸收是一个有前途的,不饱和的观察星系际氦的电离历史(其中HeII->HeIII再电离被认为是在z~3完成)和原始的3 He丰度。仪器必须在1 Jy源的1 MHz频带内达到约1 μJy RMS噪声,才能直接解决此吸收问题。然而,结合HI Lyα森林测量,仪器可以在统计上检测到z > 3的这种吸收,在100 MHz以上的0.1 MHz谱带中具有30 μJy RMS噪声,这可能在现有仪器的范围内。

英文摘要:

Motivated by recent interest in redshifted 21 cm emission of intergalactic hydrogen, we investigate the 8.7 GHz ^2S_{1/2} F=0-1 hyperfine transition of ^3He^+. While the primordial abundance of 3He relative to hydrogen is 10^-5, the hyperfine spontaneous decay rate is 680 times larger. Furthermore, the antenna temperature is much lower at the frequencies relevant for the ^3He^+ transition compared to that of z>6 21 cm emission. We find that the spin temperature of this 8.7 GHz line in the intergalactic medium is approximately the cosmic microwave background temperature, such that this transition is best observed in absorption against high-redshift, radio-bright quasars. We show that intergalactic 8.7 GHz absorption is a promising, unsaturated observable of the ionization history of intergalactic helium (for which HeII->HeIII reionization is believed to be complete at z~3) and of the primordial 3He abundance. Instruments must reach ~1 μJy RMS noise in bands of 1 MHz on a 1 Jy source to directly resolve this absorption. However, in combination with HI Lyαforest measurements, an instrument can statistically detect this absorption from z > 3 with 30 μJy RMS noise in 0.1 MHz spectral bands over 100 MHz, which may be within the reach of present instruments.

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