Exploring the epoch of hydrogen reionization using FRBs

TL;DR

This paper proposes three methods to study hydrogen reionization using FRBs, focusing on maximum dispersion measure, redshift measurements, and FRB counts, offering new ways to probe the epoch with minimal assumptions.

Contribution

It introduces three novel observational strategies for exploring the reionization epoch with FRBs, including DM-based constraints, redshift measurements, and statistical counts, without relying heavily on the FRB luminosity function.

Findings

Maximum DM of FRBs can constrain reionization more accurately than Planck if measured precisely.

Redshift measurements of ~40 FRBs can determine electron density evolution during reionization.

FRB counts per DM provide reionization insights without redshift data, with host galaxy DM contribution being small.

Abstract

We describe three different methods for exploring the hydrogen reionization epoch using fast radio bursts (FRBs) and provide arguments for the existence of FRBs at high redshift (z). The simplest way, observationally, is to determine the maximum dispersion measure (DM$_{\rm max}$) of FRBs for an ensemble that includes bursts during the reionization. The DM$_{\rm max}$ provides information regarding reionization much like the optical depth of the CMB to Thomson scattering does, and it has the potential to be more accurate than constraints from Planck, if DM$_{\rm max}$ can be measured to a precision better than 500 $\mbox{pc cm}^{-3}$. Another method is to measure redshifts of about 40 FRBs between z of 6-10 with$\sim10\%$ accuracy to obtain the average electron density in 4 different z-bins with $\sim4\%$ accuracy. These two methods don't require knowledge of the FRB luminosity function and its possible redshift evolution. Finally, we show that the reionization history is reflected in the number of FRBs per unit DM, given a fluence limited survey of FRBs that includes bursts during the reionization epoch; we show using FIRE simulations that the contributions to DM from the FRB host galaxy $\&$ CGM during the reionization era is a small fraction of the observed DM. This third method requires no redshift information but does require knowledge of the FRB luminosity function.