CMB constraints on a physical model of reionization

Abstract

We study constraints on allowed reionization histories by comparing predictions of a physical semi-numerical model with secondary temperature and polarization anisotropies of the cosmic microwave background (CMB). Our model has four free parameters characterizing the evolution of ionizing efficiency $\zeta$ and the minimum mass $M_{\min }$ of haloes that can produce ionizing radiation. Comparing the model predictions with the presently available data of the optical depth $\tau$ and kinematic Sunyaev-Zeldovich signal, we find that we can already rule out a significant region of the parameter space. We limit the duration of reionization $\Delta z=1.30_{-0.60}^{+0.19}$ ($\Delta z<2.9$ at $99\%$ C.L.), one of the tightest constraints on the parameter. The constraints mildly favour $M_{\min }\gtrsim 10^9{\mathrm{M}}_{\odot }$ (at $68\%$ C.L.) at $z\sim 8$, thus indicating the presence of reionization feedback. Our analysis provides an upper bound on the secondary $B$-mode amplitude $D_{l=200}^{BB}<18$ nK${}^2$ at $99\%$ C.L. We also study how the constraints can be further tightened with upcoming space and ground-based CMB missions. Our study, which relies solely on CMB data, has implications not only for upcoming CMB surveys for detecting primordial gravitational waves but also redshifted 21 cm studies.

arXiv commentAccepted for publication in MNRAS Letters

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