Bounds on Ultra-Light Hidden-Photon Dark Matter from 21cm at Cosmic Dawn

TL;DR

This paper derives new constraints on ultra-light hidden-photon dark matter by analyzing its heating effects on the 21cm signal during Cosmic Dawn, using EDGES data to set the strongest bounds to date.

Contribution

It provides the first limits on hidden-photon dark matter parameters based on 21cm observations during Cosmic Dawn, improving previous constraints significantly.

Findings

Established bounds on kinetic mixing strength ε for hidden-photon masses between 10^{-23} eV and 10^{-13} eV.

Demonstrated that hidden-photon induced heating affects the 21cm signal, allowing for constraints.

Provided the strongest limits to date on ultra-light hidden-photon dark matter from 21cm data.

Abstract

Ultra-light hidden-photon dark matter produces an oscillating electric field in the early Universe plasma, which in turn induces an electric current in its ionized component whose dissipation results in heat transfer from the dark matter to the plasma. This will affect the global 21cm signal from the Dark Ages and Cosmic Dawn. In this work we focus on the latter, in light of the reported detection by the EDGES collaboration of an absorption signal at frequencies corresponding to redshift z~17. By measuring the 21cm global signal, a limit can be placed on the amount of gas heating, and thus the kinetic mixing strength $\varepsilon$ between the hidden and ordinary photons can be constrained. Our inferred 21cm bounds on $\varepsilon$ in the mass range $10^{-23}\,{\rm eV}\lesssim m_\chi\lesssim10^{-13}\,{\rm eV}$ are the strongest to date.