Constraints on Primordial Magnetic Fields from the Lyman-α forest

Abstract

We present the first constraints on primordial magnetic fields from the Lyman-$\alpha$ forest using full cosmological hydrodynamic simulations. At the scales and redshifts probed by the data, the flux power spectrum is extremely sensitive to the extra power induced by primordial magnetic fields in the linear matter power spectrum, at a scale that we parametrize with $k_{\mathrm{peak}}$. We rely on a set of more than a quarter million flux models obtained by varying thermal, reionization histories and cosmological parameters. We find a hint of extra power that is well fitted by the PMF model with $B\sim 0.2$ nG, corresponding to $k_{\mathrm{peak}}\sim 20$ Mpc${}^{-1}$. However, when applying very conservative assumptions on the modelling of the noise, we obtain a 3$\sigma$ C.L. lower limit $k_{\mathrm{peak}}>30$ Mpc${}^{-1}$ which translates into the tightest bounds on the strength of primordial intergalactic magnetic fields: $B<0.30$ nG (for fixed, nearly scale-invariant $n_{\mathrm{B}}=-2.9$).

arXiv comment5 pages + Supplemental material at https://journals.aps.org/prl/supplemental/10.1103/77rd-vkpz/SUPPLEMENTAL_Viel.pdf

References in corpus (45)

• The cosmological simulation code GADGET-2
• Evidence for strong extragalactic magnetic fields from Fermi observations of TeV blazars
• ESPRESSO@VLT -- On-sky performance and first results
• The origin, evolution and signatures of primordial magnetic fields
• Simulating cosmic structure formation with the GADGET-4 code
• Constrained Simulations of the Magnetic Field in the Local Universe and the Propagation of UHECRs
• The Evolution of Cosmic Magnetic Fields: From the Very Early Universe, to Recombination, to the Present
• Inferring the dark matter power spectrum from the Lyman-alpha forest in high-resolution QSO absorption spectra
• Damping of Cosmic Magnetic Fields
• Measurement of Baryon Acoustic Oscillations in the Lyman-alpha Forest Fluctuations in BOSS Data Release 9
• Magnetohydrodynamics in the Early Universe and the Damping of Non-linear Alfven Waves
• Introducing the THESAN project: radiation-magnetohydrodynamic simulations of the epoch of reionization
• A Limit on Primordial Small-Scale Magnetic Fields from CMB Distortions
• The Sherwood simulation suite: overview and data comparisons with the Lyman-alpha forest at redshifts 2 < z < 5
• Resolved magnetic dynamo action in the simulated intracluster medium
• Generation of Density Perturbations by Primordial Magnetic Fields
• Revealing reionization with the thermal history of the intergalactic medium: new constraints from the Lyman-$\alpha$ flux power spectrum
• Lyman-$\alpha$ forest constraints on Primordial Black Holes as Dark Matter
• Stringent Limit on Primordial Magnetic Fields from the Cosmic Microwave Background Radiation
• Progress on Cosmological Magnetic Fields
• Constraint on neutrino masses from SDSS-III/BOSS Ly$\alpha$ forest and other cosmological probes
• Simulations of extragalactic magnetic fields and of their observables
• Constraints on the Intergalactic Magnetic Field with Gamma-Ray Observations of Blazars
• Constraining Primordial Magnetism
• New Constraints on Warm Dark Matter from the Lyman-$\alpha$ Forest Power Spectrum
• CMB Constraints on a Stochastic Background of Primordial Magnetic Fields
• Unveiling Dark Matter free-streaming at the smallest scales with high redshift Lyman-alpha forest
• Constraining primordial magnetic fields with distortions of the black-body spectrum of the cosmic microwave background: pre- and post-decoupling contributions
• Search for Magnetically Broadened Cascade Emission From Blazars with VERITAS
• The Sherwood-Relics simulations: overview and impact of patchy reionization and pressure smoothing on the intergalactic medium
• Search for Extended γ-ray Emission around AGN with H.E.S.S. and Fermi-LAT
• Introducing SPHINX-MHD: The Impact of Primordial Magnetic Fields on the First Galaxies, Reionization, and the Global 21cm Signal
• How primordial magnetic fields shrink galaxies
• Constraining primordial magnetic fields through large scale structure
• Probing Primordial Magnetic Fields Using Ly-alpha Clouds
• Constraints on primordial magnetic fields from magnetically-induced perturbations: current status and future perspectives with LiteBIRD and future ground based experiments
• Unraveling the origin of magnetic fields in galaxies
• Evolution of primordial magnetic fields during large-scale structure formation
• Constraining the primordial magnetic field with dwarf galaxy simulations
• Constraints on Primordial Magnetic Fields from their impact on the ionization history with Planck 2018
• Magnetogenesis at Cosmic Dawn: Tracing the Origins of Cosmic Magnetic Fields
• The Effect of Cosmic Magnetic Fields on the Metagalactic Ionization Background inferred from the Lyman-α Forest
• Primordial magnetic fields: consistent initial conditions and impact on high-z structures
• Dwarf galaxies as a probe of a primordially magnetized Universe
• Revisiting primordial magnetic fields through 21-cm physics: Bounds and forecasts

Cited by in corpus (6)

• Hints of Primordial Magnetic Fields at Recombination and Implications for the Hubble Tension
• The Effects of Linear Matter Power Spectrum Enhancement on Dark Matter Substructure
• An improved model for the effect of correlated Si-III absorption on the one-dimensional Lyman-$\alpha$ forest power spectrum
• Can WIMPs Survive the Legacy of a Magnetised Early Universe?
• Global Signals of the First Molecules from the Dark Ages in the Presence of Primordial Magnetic Fields
• Sensitivity of the redshifted 21 cm signal from the Dark Ages to parameters of primordial magnetic fields