Dark Matter Annihilation Feedback and Cosmic Structure Formation

即将到来的对高红移星系及其形成的中性氢的调查将提供一个前所未有的机会，让我们一窥宇宙黎明时代。这些调查提供了一个机会，在宇宙历史上一个以前未被探索的时代，发现或至少限制新的物理现象。这个项目利用这个机会，展示了观测宇宙黎明成为暗物质粒子物理的唯一有效探测器的潜力。虽然暗物质被广泛理解为我们宇宙环境的一个基本元素，但它作为一种物理现象的基本性质仍然未知。对高红移星系光度函数和21厘米功率谱进行建模将使我们能够对暗物质的性质设置新的约束。为了提高这个项目的公众影响力，研究人员将启动一个“视频摘要”制作计划，让学生向非技术观众描述他们已发表的作品。这些视频摘要将由学生自己制作，并将发布在YouTube专用频道上。该项目将对高红移星系光度函数和21厘米功率谱进行建模，这是再电离时代天体物理的两个互补探测器，以对暗物质的性质设置新的限制。大量理论模型表明，暗物质可能在密度较高的区域自行湮灭，这一结果将解决这一问题。在这个项目的过程中，将发布新的半解析和数值代码，将暗物质湮灭物理纳入星系形成和再电离过程。这一奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

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.