Dark Matter Annihilation Feedback and Cosmic Structure Formation

North Carolina State University, Raleigh NC

Investigators

Abstract

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.