Studying the WHIM with Gamma Ray Bursts

TL;DR

This study explores the potential of using gamma-ray burst afterglow X-ray spectra, measured by advanced detectors, to detect and analyze the missing baryons in the Warm Hot Intergalactic Medium, promising a new method for cosmic baryon census.

Contribution

It demonstrates that future X-ray missions can effectively detect and characterize the WHIM using GRB spectra, providing a novel approach complementary to emission studies.

Findings

Approximately 60 WHIM absorbers per year could be detected.

About 45% of these absorbers would have multiple detectable lines for detailed analysis.

Cosmic mass density of the WHIM can be measured with about 15% accuracy.

Abstract

We assess the possibility to detect and characterize the physical state of the missing baryons at low redshift by analyzing the X-ray absorption spectra of the Gamma Ray Burst [GRB] afterglows, measured by a micro calorimeters-based detector with 3 eV resolution and 1000 cm2 effective area and capable of fast re-pointing, similar to that on board of the recently proposed X-ray satellites EDGE and XENIA. For this purpose we have analyzed mock absorption spectra extracted from different hydrodynamical simulations used to model the properties of the Warm Hot Intergalactic Medium [WHIM]. These models predict the correct abundance of OVI absorption lines observed in UV and satisfy current X-ray constraints. According to these models space missions like EDGE and XENIA should be able to detect about 60 WHIM absorbers per year through the OVII line. About 45 % of these have at least two more detectable lines in addition to OVII that can be used to determine the density and the temperature of the gas. Systematic errors in the estimates of the gas density and temperature can be corrected for in a robust, largely model-independent fashion. The analysis of the GRB absorption spectra collected in three years would also allow to measure the cosmic mass density of the WHIM with about 15 % accuracy, although this estimate depends on the WHIM model. Our results suggest that GRBs represent a valid, if not preferable, alternative to Active Galactic Nuclei to study the WHIM in absorption. The analysis of the absorption spectra nicely complements the study of the WHIM in emission that the spectrometer proposed for EDGE and XENIA would be able to carry out thanks to its high sensitivity and large field of view.