The Global 21 cm Signal of a Network of Cosmic String Wakes

Abstract

In previous works we discussed the 21 cm signature of a single cosmic string wake. However the 21 cm brightness temperature is influenced by a network of cosmic string wakes, and not one single wake. In this work we consider the signal from a network of wakes laid down during the matter era. We also improve on the previous calculation of a single wake signature. Finally we calculate the enhancement of the global 21 cm brightness temperature due to a network of wakes and discuss its affects of the signal measured in the Wouthuysen-Field absorption trough. We estimated that for string tensions between $10^{-8}$ to $10^{-7}$ there would be between a 10% to a factor 2 enhancement in the signal.

6 pages, 4 figure. v2 to v3: minor typo corrected in references. v1 to v2: explanation in section 5 expanded, figures enlarged, NANOGrav data description changed in section 2, 1 references added in section 2. Matches the version accepted for publication by MNRAS

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• Cosmology at Low Frequencies: The 21 cm Transition and the High-Redshift Universe
• The Global 21-cm Signal in the Context of the High-z Galaxy Luminosity Function
• Stochastic gravitational waves from cosmic string loops in scaling
• The 21 cm Signature of Cosmic String Wakes
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Cited by in corpus (2)

• Stochastic gravitational waves from long cosmic strings
• Cosmic Strings-induced CMB anisotropies in light of Weighted Morphology