The influence of ultra-high-energy cosmic rays on star formation in the early universe

Abstract

The presence of ultra-high-energy cosmic rays (UHECR) results in an increase in the degree of ionization in the post-recombination Universe, which stimulates the efficiency of the production of H${}_2$ molecules and the formation of the first stellar objects. As a result, the onset of the formation of the first stars is shifted to higher redshifts, and the masses of the first stellar systems decrease. As a consequence, a sufficient increase in the ionizing radiation providing the reionization of the Universe can take place. We discuss possible observational manifestations of these effects and their dependence on the parameters of UHECR.

10 pages, 5 figures

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Cited by in corpus (7)

• The First Galaxies
• Uncertainties in H2 and HD Chemistry and Cooling and their Role in Early Structure Formation
• Impact of Cosmic Rays on Population III Star Formation
• Baryon history and cosmic star formation in non-Gaussian cosmological models: numerical simulations
• Particle decay in the early universe: predictions for 21 cm
• The First Stars: formation under cosmic ray feedback
• Formation of the First Galaxies: Theory and Simulations