Constraining the Astrophysics of the Cosmic Dawn and the Epoch of Reionization with the SKA

TL;DR

The paper discusses how the SKA will revolutionize our understanding of the early Universe by observing the 21cm line, revealing the formation of the first galaxies and the state of the intergalactic medium during cosmic dawn and reionization.

Contribution

It demonstrates how SKA observations of the 21cm line can constrain the timing, properties, and structure of the early Universe's first galaxies and intergalactic medium.

Findings

SKA will provide detailed insights into the epoch of reionization.

The 21cm signal evolution reveals formation timelines of early galaxies.

Robust qualitative trends will emerge from SKA data.

Abstract

The Square Kilometre Array (SKA) will offer an unprecedented view onto the early Universe, using interferometric observations of the redshifted 21cm line. The 21cm line probes the thermal and ionization state of the cosmic gas, which is governed by the birth and evolution of the first structures in our Universe. Here we show how the evolution of the 21cm signal will allow us to study when the first generations of galaxies appeared, what were their properties, and what was the structure of the intergalactic medium. We highlight qualitative trends which will offer robust insights into the early Universe.