Stellar mass dependence of the 21-cm signal around the first star and its impact on the global signal

TL;DR

This study uses radiation hydrodynamics simulations to show how the mass of the first stars influences the 21-cm signal's spatial and temporal features, affecting the global signal interpretation.

Contribution

It reveals the stellar-mass dependence of the 21-cm signal and highlights the importance of the initial mass function of first stars in shaping the global 21-cm signal.

Findings

Radial 21-cm brightness profiles depend on stellar and halo masses.

Less massive stars produce long-lasting deep absorption features.

Massive stars cause extended 21-cm emission signatures.

Abstract

The 21-cm signal in the vicinity of the first stars is expected to reflect properties of the first stars. In this study we pay special attention to tracing the time evolution of the ionizing photons' escape fraction, which affects the distribution of neutral hydrogen, by performing radiation hydrodynamics (RHD) simulations resolving dense gas in a halo. We find that the radial profile of 21-cm differential brightness temperature is quite sensitive to the stellar and halo masses, which reflects the time evolution of the escape fraction. In the case of a less massive star, ionizing photons hardly escape from its host halo due to the absorption by dense halo gas, thus an deep 21-cm absorption feature at just outside the halo lasts a long time. Whereas photons from a massive star well working to heat the ambient intergalactic medium turn out to cause a spatially extended 21-cm emission signature. Although individual signals are found to be undetectable with the Square Kilometre Array, our analysis using the results from the RHD simulations indicates that the properties of the first stars are imprinted on the 21-cm global signal: its amplitude depends not only on the cosmic star formation rate density, but also on the typical mass of the first stars due to the stellar-mass-dependent heating rate. Thus, we suggest that the initial mass function of the first stars is an essential factor in understanding the global signal.