Dark Matter Annihilation Feedback and Cosmic Structure Formation

即将到来的高红移星系和它们形成的中性氢的调查将提供对宇宙黎明时代的前所未有的一瞥。这些调查提供了一个机会，发现，或至少限制，在宇宙历史上以前未探索的时代新的物理现象。 该项目利用这个机会，展示了观测宇宙黎明的潜力，成为暗物质粒子物理学的独特有效探测器。 虽然暗物质被广泛认为是我们宇宙环境的基本元素，但其作为物理现象的基本性质仍然未知。模拟高红移星系的光度函数和21厘米功率谱将使我们能够对暗物质的性质设置新的约束。 为了提高该项目的公众影响力，研究人员将启动一个“视频摘要”制作计划，让学生为非技术观众描述他们发表的作品。这些视频摘要将由学生自己制作，并将发布在YouTube的一个专门的公共频道上。该项目将模拟高红移星系的光度函数和21厘米功率谱，这是再电离时代天体物理学的两个互补探测，为暗物质的性质设定新的约束。这些结果将解决由广泛的理论模型提出的暗物质可能在高密度区域自我湮灭的可能性。 在这个项目的过程中，新的半解析和数值代码将在星系形成和再电离中纳入暗物质湮灭物理学。这个奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并被认为是值得通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估的支持。

Upcoming surveys of high-redshift galaxies and the neutral hydrogen from which they formed will offer an unprecedented glimpse into the epoch of Cosmic Dawn. These surveys offer an opportunity to discover, or at least constrain, new physical phenomena in a previously unexplored era in the history of the cosmos. This project takes advantage of this opportunity by demonstrating the potential for observations of Cosmic Dawn to be a uniquely effective probe of dark matter particle physics. While dark matter is broadly understood to be an essential element of our cosmic environment, its fundamental nature as a physical phenomenon is still not yet known. Modeling the high-redshift galaxy luminosity function and 21cm power spectrum will allow us to set new constraints on the properties of dark matter. To enhance the public impact of this project, the researchers will initiate a program of “video abstract” productions for students describing their published work for a non-technical audience. These video abstracts will be produced by the students themselves and will be posted on a dedicated public YouTube channel.This project will model the high-redshift galaxy luminosity function and 21cm power spectrum, two complementary probes of reionization-era astrophysics, to set new constraints on the properties of dark matter. The results will address the possibility, suggested by a wide range of theoretical models, that dark matter might self-annihilate in regions of high density. In the course of this project, novel semi-analytic and numerical codes to incorporate dark matter annihilation physics in galaxy formation and reionization will be published.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.