pith. sign in

arxiv: 2605.18939 · v1 · pith:BLVBPSDFnew · submitted 2026-05-18 · 🌌 astro-ph.CO · astro-ph.GA

The Lumina Project: CMB Optical Depth Fluctuations from Patchy Reionization

Aaron Smith (1) , Oliver Zier (2) , Rahul Kannan (3) , Xuejian Shen (4) , Rongrong Liu (2) , Mark Vogelsberger (4) , Volker Springel (5) , Ruediger Pakmor (5)
show 7 more authors
Sonja M. Koehler (2) Lars Hernquist (2) Meredith Neyer (4) ((1) UT Dallas (2) CfA (3) York (4) MIT (5) MPA)
This is my paper

Pith reviewed 2026-05-20 08:36 UTC · model grok-4.3

classification 🌌 astro-ph.CO astro-ph.GA
keywords reionizationCMB optical depthpatchy reionizationlight cone integrationionization morphologymass-weighted historyThomson scattering
0
0 comments X

The pith

Line-of-sight optical depth through patchy reionization exceeds volume-weighted estimates by 7 percent.

A machine-rendered reading of the paper's core claim, the machinery that carries it, and where it could break.

The paper computes the CMB Thomson optical depth using both global ionization histories and explicit integrations along lines of sight in a large simulation of reionization. It finds that the average optical depth from sightlines is about 7 percent higher than what a simple volume-weighted history would predict. This difference arises because ionized regions tend to form in denser areas, so random sightlines encounter more free electrons on average. A mass-weighted global history recovers most of the enhancement. Sympathetic readers would care because this optical depth is a key observable for pinning down when the universe was reionized, and small systematic differences can shift inferred timelines for the first stars and galaxies.

Core claim

Using the Lumina radiation-hydrodynamical simulation, the sightline-averaged optical depth in the light cone is 0.0550, which exceeds the global volume-weighted value of 0.0515 by approximately 7 percent. This enhancement is largely captured by the global mass-weighted prediction of 0.0544. The excess accumulates primarily near redshift 8, where the combination of high density and ionization patchiness is strongest, and the resulting optical depth field shows non-Gaussian fluctuations with at least 5 percent sightline-to-sightline scatter.

What carries the argument

Explicit line-of-sight integration through on-the-fly light cones that couple the density field to the patchy ionization morphology.

If this is right

  • Precision comparisons to CMB optical-depth constraints should use mass-weighted electron fractions or explicit light-cone integration rather than volume-weighted ionized fractions alone.
  • The excess optical depth accumulates primarily near z_LOS = 8.0 where high physical density and strong ionization-field patchiness coincide.
  • The tau_LOS field is non-Gaussian and exhibits at least 5 percent sightline-to-sightline scatter tracing rare early-ionized overdensities.
  • Smoothing the ionization field on scales of 3 cMpc or larger suppresses the density-ionization correlation and biases tau_CMB low.

Where Pith is reading between the lines

These are editorial extensions of the paper, not claims the author makes directly.

  • Current global reionization models that rely on volume-weighted averages may systematically underestimate the total electron scattering optical depth to the CMB.
  • High-precision CMB experiments might eventually measure the non-Gaussian scatter in optical depth to probe the morphology of reionization directly.
  • Adjusting for this density-ionization correlation could shift the inferred redshift of reionization by a small but measurable amount.

Load-bearing premise

The simulation volume, resolution, and included physics are sufficient to capture the coupling between density and patchy ionization without dominant numerical artifacts.

What would settle it

A higher-resolution simulation or one with different feedback physics that yields a significantly smaller or larger difference between light-cone and volume-weighted optical depths would challenge the 7 percent enhancement.

Figures

Figures reproduced from arXiv: 2605.18939 by (2) CfA, (3) York, (4) MIT, (5) MPA), Aaron Smith (1), Lars Hernquist (2), Mark Vogelsberger (4), Meredith Neyer (4) ((1) UT Dallas, Oliver Zier (2), Rahul Kannan (3), Rongrong Liu (2), Ruediger Pakmor (5), Sonja M. Koehler (2), Volker Springel (5), Xuejian Shen (4).

Figure 1
Figure 1. Figure 1: — Composite light-cone fan through the lumina simulation, showing line-of-sight columns for total gas density, temperature, H ii, He ii, and He iii fractions, Lyα emissivity, and velocity amplitude (norm), over a 3.6 ◦ opening angle across the EoR redshift range (z ≥ 4.75). The box has a side length of 500 cMpc and 60003 resolution elements, with on-the-fly adaptive cloud-in-cell deposition onto a 51202 li… view at source ↗
Figure 2
Figure 2. Figure 2: — Spatial image of the CMB optical depth τCMB integrated along each sightline across the full 3.6 ◦ light-cone field of view. The map is constructed by assembling rotated and transposed tiles covering 75% stretches of the simulation volume to minimize periodic repetition. Although this reduces the overall variance between sightlines, the map retains substantial coherent fluctuations, with the standard devi… view at source ↗
Figure 3
Figure 3. Figure 3: — Spatial image of the CMB optical depth τCMB divided into eight segments illustrating the contribution of successive redshift intervals to the light cone. Each panel shows a range corresponding to one eighth of the total optical depth accumulated over z > 3. Color scales are normalized independently to highlight relative fluctuations within each panel. The changing morphology reflects the evolving reioniz… view at source ↗
Figure 4
Figure 4. Figure 4: — Spatial image of the CMB optical depth τCMB obtained by integrating through the local reionization history of fixed co￾spatial regions rather than through an evolving light cone, yielding a maximal-variance estimate. This is achieved by integrating the local reionization history in the same overdense or underdense regions. The image is a slice from the 3D volume, with a resolution of 1280 pixels across o… view at source ↗
Figure 6
Figure 6. Figure 6: — Normalized cumulative optical-depth histories (top panel) and differential optical depth dτCMB/dt (bottom panel) as a function of cosmic time (with the equivalent redshift shown above), based on global mean values and separated into contri￾butions from H ii, He ii, and He iii. The solid curves show the line-of-sight optical depth averaged over light-cone pixels, which follows the global mass-weighted ave… view at source ↗
Figure 7
Figure 7. Figure 7: — Histogram of τLOS values across all pixels of the light-cone map. For context, we include separate histograms for the total (all electrons), H ii, He ii, and He iii contributions. The vertical dash-dotted line and gray ±1σ shaded band denote the Planck measurement (0.0544 ± 0.0073; Planck Collaboration et al. 2020) while markers show re-analysis by Pagano et al. (2020, P20) and de Belsunce et al. (2021, … view at source ↗
Figure 10
Figure 10. Figure 10: — Cumulative distribution functions of τCMB calcu￾lated from local reionization histories for subvolumes of different sizes ranging from {100, 50, 25, 12.5, 6.25, 3.125} cMpc. The sam￾pled variance increases with resolution and in comparison the light￾cone LOS distribution (orange curve) has a significantly narrower range. Vertical lines and markers indicate the global volume￾weighted (gray dotted) and ma… view at source ↗
Figure 11
Figure 11. Figure 11: — Spatial standard deviation of σlocal (blue) relative to the global volume-weighted (τCMB,V ; solid) and mass-weighted (τCMB,m; dashed) averages as a function of the coarsening scale ranging from 3.125–100 cMpc subvolumes. The mean (orange) and median (green) curves show that averaging over too large a region (∼ 30 cMpc) results in similar values for the mean (orange) and median (green), both of which ar… view at source ↗
Figure 13
Figure 13. Figure 13: — Scale-dependent response of each auto- and cross￾component relative to the total τLOS spectrum. For auto terms the plotted quantity is q Cx ℓ /Cℓ and for cross terms it is C xy ℓ /Cℓ to allow negative signals. Unity indicates perfect proportionality to the total spectrum shape. auto-spectrum (dashed curves) peaks at multipoles of ℓ ∼ 1–5 × 103 for H ii and He ii, corresponding to an￾gular scales of roug… view at source ↗
Figure 16
Figure 16. Figure 16: — Redshift-sliced real-space correlation functions of τLOS. The two-point correlation function ξθ is plotted as a func￾tion of angular separation for the same equal-τ redshift bins as in Figs. 15 and 3. The curves reflect the absolute correlation ampli￾tude of fluctuations. Early slices (z ≳ 6) display strong coherence at separations θ ≲ 10′ , while later slices flatten rapidly, indicating a nearly unifor… view at source ↗
read the original abstract

Patchy reionization couples the ionized-bubble morphology to the underlying density field, making the CMB Thomson optical depth sensitive to both the global ionization history and anisotropic fluctuations on the sky. Using the large-volume radiation-hydrodynamical Lumina simulation, we compute $\tau_{\rm CMB}$ in two ways: (i) from global volume- and mass-weighted ionization histories, and (ii) from explicit line-of-sight integrations through on-the-fly light cones. We find that the sightline-averaged optical depth in the light cone, $\langle \tau_{\rm LOS} \rangle = 0.0550$, exceeds the value inferred from a global volume-weighted history, $\tau_{{\rm CMB},V} = 0.0515$, by $\approx 7\%$. This enhancement is largely captured by the global mass-weighted prediction, $\tau_{{\rm CMB},m} = 0.0544$, indicating that precision comparisons to CMB optical-depth constraints should use mass-weighted electron fractions or explicit light-cone integration rather than volume-weighted ionized fractions alone. The excess optical depth accumulates primarily near $z_{\rm LOS} = 8.0^{+1.9}_{-1.3}$, where the combination of high physical density and strong ionization-field patchiness is greatest. The resulting $\tau_{\rm LOS}$ field is non-Gaussian and exhibits $\gtrsim 5\%$ sightline-to-sightline scatter, with fluctuations tracing rare early-ionized overdensities and large-scale structure. Coarse-graining experiments show that smoothing the ionization field on $\gtrsim 3 {\rm cMpc}$ scales suppresses the density-ionization correlation and biases $\tau_{\rm CMB}$ low relative to the resolved calculation. Finally, angular power spectra and real-space correlation functions decomposed into HII, HeII, and HeIII auto- and cross-contributions reveal scale-dependent departures from simple hydrogen-helium co-tracing and evolving characteristic scales with redshift.

Editorial analysis

A structured set of objections, weighed in public.

Desk editor's note, referee report, simulated authors' rebuttal, and a circularity audit. Tearing a paper down is the easy half of reading it; the pith above is the substance, this is the friction.

Referee Report

1 major / 1 minor

Summary. The manuscript uses the large-volume radiation-hydrodynamical Lumina simulation to compute the CMB Thomson optical depth τ_CMB from patchy reionization. It compares values obtained from global volume-weighted (τ_CMB,V = 0.0515) and mass-weighted (τ_CMB,m = 0.0544) ionization histories against explicit line-of-sight integrations through on-the-fly light cones, reporting that the sightline-averaged ⟨τ_LOS⟩ = 0.0550 exceeds the volume-weighted value by ≈7%. The excess accumulates primarily near z_LOS ≈ 8, the resulting τ_LOS field is non-Gaussian with ≳5% scatter, and angular power spectra are decomposed into HII, HeII, and HeIII contributions. Coarse-graining tests indicate that smoothing the ionization field on ≳3 cMpc scales suppresses the density-ionization correlation.

Significance. If the central result holds, the work provides a concrete quantitative demonstration that density-ionization correlations during patchy reionization enhance the effective CMB optical depth by ~7% relative to volume-weighted global histories, with mass-weighted averages recovering most of the effect. This has direct implications for precision CMB analyses and reionization modeling. Strengths include the use of a large-volume radiation-hydrodynamical simulation with explicit on-the-fly light-cone integrations and the decomposition of power spectra into ionization-species auto- and cross-correlations.

major comments (1)
  1. The central 7% enhancement claim (⟨τ_LOS⟩ = 0.0550 vs. τ_CMB,V = 0.0515) depends on the simulation accurately capturing density-ionization correlations on the scales that contribute near z_LOS ≈ 8. The abstract describes a coarse-graining test at ≳3 cMpc but provides no explicit resolution or volume convergence study for the light-cone versus global-history difference itself. Without such tests, it remains possible that under-resolved small-scale bubbles or overdensity sampling artificially affects the reported excess optical depth.
minor comments (1)
  1. The asymmetric error bar on z_LOS = 8.0^{+1.9}_{-1.3} is presented clearly in the abstract but would benefit from a brief explanation of its derivation in the main text for readers unfamiliar with the light-cone construction.

Simulated Author's Rebuttal

1 responses · 0 unresolved

We thank the referee for their careful reading of the manuscript and for the constructive major comment, which highlights an important aspect of robustness. We address the point in detail below and will update the manuscript to incorporate additional convergence discussion and tests.

read point-by-point responses

  1. Referee: The central 7% enhancement claim (⟨τ_LOS⟩ = 0.0550 vs. τ_CMB,V = 0.0515) depends on the simulation accurately capturing density-ionization correlations on the scales that contribute near z_LOS ≈ 8. The abstract describes a coarse-graining test at ≳3 cMpc but provides no explicit resolution or volume convergence study for the light-cone versus global-history difference itself. Without such tests, it remains possible that under-resolved small-scale bubbles or overdensity sampling artificially affects the reported excess optical depth.

    Authors: We agree that explicit convergence tests would further strengthen confidence in the reported 7% enhancement. The existing coarse-graining analysis already demonstrates that the density-ionization correlation driving the excess optical depth is suppressed for smoothing scales ≳3 cMpc, implying that the effect arises primarily from structures well within the resolved range of the simulation rather than from the smallest bubbles. The Lumina volume is large enough to provide good sampling of the overdensities that dominate near z_LOS ≈ 8, and the light-cone integrations are performed at the native grid resolution. Nevertheless, we acknowledge the referee's point that a dedicated study isolating the light-cone versus global-history difference has not yet been presented. In the revised manuscript we will add a new subsection that quantifies convergence by (i) repeating the light-cone analysis on sub-volumes of varying size and (ii) comparing results at the fiducial resolution against a lower-resolution counterpart, thereby directly testing the sensitivity of the 7% difference to volume sampling and small-scale resolution. We expect these tests to confirm that the enhancement is robust. revision: yes

Circularity Check

0 steps flagged

No circularity: optical depth values obtained by direct integration through simulation outputs

full rationale

The paper's central quantitative results—⟨τ_LOS⟩ = 0.0550, τ_CMB,V = 0.0515, and τ_CMB,m = 0.0544—are computed by explicit line-of-sight integration and global averaging over the Lumina radiation-hydrodynamical simulation outputs. These quantities are not obtained by fitting parameters to the target differences, nor are they defined in terms of each other. The reported 7% enhancement and its partial recovery by the mass-weighted history emerge from the simulated density-ionization correlations rather than being imposed by construction. No load-bearing step invokes a self-citation chain, uniqueness theorem from prior author work, or smuggled ansatz to justify the comparison methods. Coarse-graining tests and power-spectrum decompositions are likewise direct post-processing of the same simulation data. The derivation chain is therefore self-contained and independent of the target result.

Axiom & Free-Parameter Ledger

0 free parameters · 1 axioms · 0 invented entities

The central claim rests on the fidelity of the radiation-hydrodynamical simulation to real reionization physics and on the numerical accuracy of the light-cone integration.

axioms (1)
  • domain assumption The radiation-hydrodynamical simulation accurately captures the morphology of ionized bubbles and their correlation with the underlying density field.
    This premise is required to interpret the difference between volume-weighted and line-of-sight optical depths as a physical effect rather than a numerical artifact.

pith-pipeline@v0.9.0 · 5985 in / 1431 out tokens · 49976 ms · 2026-05-20T08:36:59.289650+00:00 · methodology

discussion (0)

Sign in with ORCID, Apple, or X to comment. Anyone can read and Pith papers without signing in.

Lean theorems connected to this paper

Citations machine-checked in the Pith Canon. Every link opens the source theorem in the public Lean library.

What do these tags mean?
matches
The paper's claim is directly supported by a theorem in the formal canon.
supports
The theorem supports part of the paper's argument, but the paper may add assumptions or extra steps.
extends
The paper goes beyond the formal theorem; the theorem is a base layer rather than the whole result.
uses
The paper appears to rely on the theorem as machinery.
contradicts
The paper's claim conflicts with a theorem or certificate in the canon.
unclear
Pith found a possible connection, but the passage is too broad, indirect, or ambiguous to say the theorem truly supports the claim.

Reference graph

Works this paper leans on

136 extracted references · 136 canonical work pages · 49 internal anchors

  1. [1]

    , keywords =

    Introducing the THESAN project: radiation-magnetohydrodynamic simulations of the epoch of reionization. , keywords =. doi:10.1093/mnras/stab3710 , archivePrefix =. 2110.00584 , primaryClass =

    work page doi:10.1093/mnras/stab3710

  2. [2]

    doi:10.1093/mnras/staa3773 , eprint =

    , keywords =. doi:10.1093/mnras/staa3773 , eprint =

    work page doi:10.1093/mnras/staa3773

  3. [3]

    , keywords =

    The THESAN project: predictions for multitracer line intensity mapping in the epoch of reionization. , keywords =. doi:10.1093/mnras/stac1557 , archivePrefix =. 2111.02411 , primaryClass =

    work page doi:10.1093/mnras/stac1557

  4. [4]

    , keywords =

    The THESAN project: properties of the intergalactic medium and its connection to reionization-era galaxies. , keywords =. doi:10.1093/mnras/stac257 , archivePrefix =. 2110.01628 , primaryClass =

    work page doi:10.1093/mnras/stac257

  5. [5]

    , keywords =

    The THESAN project: Lyman- emission and transmission during the Epoch of Reionization. , keywords =. doi:10.1093/mnras/stac713 , archivePrefix =. 2110.02966 , primaryClass =

    work page doi:10.1093/mnras/stac713

  6. [6]

    doi:10.1093/mnras/stae839 , archivePrefix =

    The THESAN project: public data release of radiation-hydrodynamic simulations matching reionization-era JWST observations , journal =. doi:10.1093/mnras/stae839 , archivePrefix =. 2309.06475 , primaryClass =

    work page doi:10.1093/mnras/stae839

  7. [7]

    , keywords =

    The THESAN project: ionizing escape fractions of reionization-era galaxies. , keywords =. doi:10.1093/mnras/stad210 , archivePrefix =. 2205.02238 , primaryClass =

    work page doi:10.1093/mnras/stad210

  8. [8]

    , year = 2026, volume =

    The THESAN project: environmental drivers of Local Group reionization. , year = 2026, volume =. doi:10.1093/mnras/stag500 , archivePrefix =. 2507.16245 , primaryClass =

    work page doi:10.1093/mnras/stag500 2026

  9. [9]

    The THESAN project: Lyman-alpha emitters as probes of ionized bubble sizes

    The THESAN project: Lyman-alpha emitters as probes of ionized bubble sizes. The Open Journal of Astrophysics , year = 2026, month = apr, volume =. doi:10.33232/001c.160756 , archivePrefix =. 2510.18946 , primaryClass =

    work page internal anchor Pith review Pith/arXiv arXiv doi:10.33232/001c.160756 2026

  10. [10]

    , title =

    Madau, Piero and Haardt, Francesco and Rees, Martin J. , title =. The Astrophysical Journal , year =. doi:10.1086/306975 , adsurl =

    work page doi:10.1086/306975

  11. [11]

    Reionization of the Inhomogeneous Universe , journal =

    Miralda-Escud. Reionization of the Inhomogeneous Universe , journal =. 2000 , volume =. doi:10.1086/308330 , adsurl =

    work page doi:10.1086/308330 2000

  12. [12]

    , keywords =

    Finlator, Kristian and Oh, S. Peng and. Gas clumping in self-consistent reionization models , journal =. 2012 , volume =. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2966.2012.22114.x , adsurl =

    work page doi:10.1111/j.1365-2966.2012.22114.x 2012

  13. [13]

    Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society , year =

    Sobacchi, Emanuele and Mesinger, Andrei , title =. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society , year =. doi:10.1093/mnras/stu377 , eprint =

    work page doi:10.1093/mnras/stu377

  14. [14]

    and Gnedin, Nickolay Y

    Kaurov, Alexander A. and Gnedin, Nickolay Y. , title =. The Astrophysical Journal , year =. doi:10.1088/0004-637X/810/2/154 , adsurl =

    work page doi:10.1088/0004-637x/810/2/154

  15. [15]

    and Furlanetto, Steven R

    Davies, Frederick B. and Furlanetto, Steven R. , title =. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society , year =. doi:10.1093/mnras/stw931 , adsurl =

    work page doi:10.1093/mnras/stw931

  16. [16]

    Rahmati, Alireza and Pawlik, Andreas H. and Rai. On the evolution of the H\,. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society , year =. doi:10.1093/mnras/stt066 , eprint =

    work page doi:10.1093/mnras/stt066

  17. [17]

    , title =

    Hui, Lam and Gnedin, Nickolay Y. , title =. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society , year =. doi:10.1093/mnras/292.1.27 , eprint =

    work page doi:10.1093/mnras/292.1.27

  18. [18]

    Verner, D. A. and Ferland, Gary J. and Korista, Kirk T. and Yakovlev, D. G. , title =. The Astrophysical Journal , year =

    work page

  19. [19]

    The Aurora radiation-hydrodynamical simulations of reionization: calibration and first results

    The Aurora radiation-hydrodynamical simulations of reionization: calibration and first results. , keywords =. doi:10.1093/mnras/stw2869 , archivePrefix =. 1603.00034 , primaryClass =

    work page internal anchor Pith review Pith/arXiv arXiv doi:10.1093/mnras/stw2869

  20. [20]

    , keywords =

    Cosmic Reionization on Computers: Physical Origin of Long Dark Gaps in Quasar Absorption Spectra. , keywords =. doi:10.3847/1538-4357/ac8d0a , archivePrefix =. 2204.05338 , primaryClass =

    work page doi:10.3847/1538-4357/ac8d0a

  21. [21]

    , keywords =

    LyC escape from SPHINX galaxies in the Epoch of Reionization. , keywords =. doi:10.1093/mnras/stac1942 , archivePrefix =. 2207.03232 , primaryClass =

    work page doi:10.1093/mnras/stac1942

  22. [22]

    The SPHINX Cosmological Simulations of the First Billion Years: the Impact of Binary Stars on Reionization

    The SPHINX cosmological simulations of the first billion years: the impact of binary stars on reionization. , keywords =. doi:10.1093/mnras/sty1655 , archivePrefix =. 1801.07259 , primaryClass =

    work page internal anchor Pith review Pith/arXiv arXiv doi:10.1093/mnras/sty1655

  23. [23]

    , keywords =

    SPICE: the connection between cosmic reionization and stellar feedback in the first galaxies. , keywords =. doi:10.1093/mnras/stae1125 , archivePrefix =. 2310.16895 , primaryClass =

    work page doi:10.1093/mnras/stae1125

  24. [24]

    Cosmic Dawn (CoDa): the First Radiation-Hydrodynamics Simulation of Reionization and Galaxy Formation in the Local Universe

    Cosmic Dawn (CoDa): the First Radiation-Hydrodynamics Simulation of Reionization and Galaxy Formation in the Local Universe. , keywords =. doi:10.1093/mnras/stw2036 , archivePrefix =. 1511.00011 , primaryClass =

    work page internal anchor Pith review Pith/arXiv arXiv doi:10.1093/mnras/stw2036

  25. [25]

    , keywords =

    Cosmic Dawn II (CoDa II): a new radiation-hydrodynamics simulation of the self-consistent coupling of galaxy formation and reionization. , keywords =. doi:10.1093/mnras/staa1266 , archivePrefix =. 1811.11192 , primaryClass =

    work page doi:10.1093/mnras/staa1266

  26. [26]

    , keywords =

    The short ionizing photon mean free path at z = 6 in Cosmic Dawn III, a new fully coupled radiation-hydrodynamical simulation of the Epoch of Reionization. , keywords =. doi:10.1093/mnras/stac2383 , archivePrefix =. 2202.05869 , primaryClass =

    work page doi:10.1093/mnras/stac2383

  27. [27]

    Cosmic Reionization on Computers. I. Design and Calibration of Simulations. , keywords =. doi:10.1088/0004-637X/793/1/29 , archivePrefix =. 1403.4245 , primaryClass =

    work page internal anchor Pith review Pith/arXiv arXiv doi:10.1088/0004-637x/793/1/29

  28. [28]

    Impact of the reionization history on constraining primordial gravitational waves in future all-sky cosmic microwave background experiments , volume=

    Jiang, Hanchun and Namikawa, Toshiya , year=. Impact of the reionization history on constraining primordial gravitational waves in future all-sky cosmic microwave background experiments , volume=. Physical Review D , publisher=. doi:10.1103/physrevd.111.083555 , number=

    work page doi:10.1103/physrevd.111.083555

  29. [29]

    , keywords =

    The Cosmic Microwave Background Optical Depth Constrains the Duration of Reionization. , keywords =. doi:10.3847/2041-8213/ade141 , archivePrefix =. 2505.15899 , primaryClass =

    work page doi:10.3847/2041-8213/ade141 2041

  30. [30]

    Planck 2018 results. VI. Cosmological parameters. , keywords =. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/201833910 , archivePrefix =. 1807.06209 , primaryClass =

    work page internal anchor Pith review Pith/arXiv arXiv doi:10.1051/0004-6361/201833910 2018

  31. [31]

    Reconstructing Patchy Reionization from the Cosmic Microwave Background

    Reconstructing patchy reionization from the cosmic microwave background. , keywords =. doi:10.1103/PhysRevD.79.043003 , archivePrefix =. 0812.1566 , primaryClass =

    work page internal anchor Pith review Pith/arXiv arXiv doi:10.1103/physrevd.79.043003

  32. [32]

    B-mode CMB Polarization from Patchy Screening during Reionization

    , keywords =. doi:10.1103/PhysRevD.79.107302 , archiveprefix =. 0902.4413 , primaryclass =

    work page internal anchor Pith review Pith/arXiv arXiv doi:10.1103/physrevd.79.107302

  33. [33]

    , keywords =

    Reionization optical depth determination from Planck HFI data with ten percent accuracy. , keywords =. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/201936630 , archivePrefix =. 1908.09856 , primaryClass =

    work page doi:10.1051/0004-6361/201936630 1908

  34. [34]

    , keywords =

    Inference of the optical depth to reionization from low multipole temperature and polarization Planck data. , keywords =. doi:10.1093/mnras/stab2215 , archivePrefix =. 2103.14378 , primaryClass =

    work page doi:10.1093/mnras/stab2215

  35. [35]

    The Reionization Parameter Space Consistent with the Thomson Optical Depth from Planck

    The Reionization Parameter Space Consistent with the Thomson Optical Depth from Planck. Research Notes of the American Astronomical Society , keywords =. doi:10.3847/2515-5172/aad68a , archivePrefix =. 1808.00553 , primaryClass =

    work page internal anchor Pith review Pith/arXiv arXiv doi:10.3847/2515-5172/aad68a

  36. [36]

    , keywords =

    AMBER: A Semi-numerical Abundance Matching Box for the Epoch of Reionization. , keywords =. doi:10.3847/1538-4357/ac5116 , archivePrefix =. 2109.10375 , primaryClass =

    work page doi:10.3847/1538-4357/ac5116

  37. [37]

    , keywords =

    Patchy Kinetic Sunyaev-Zel'dovich Effect with Controlled Reionization History and Morphology. , keywords =. doi:10.3847/1538-4357/ac8481 , archivePrefix =. 2203.04337 , primaryClass =

    work page doi:10.3847/1538-4357/ac8481

  38. [38]

    SCORCH. II. Radiation-hydrodynamic Simulations of Reionization with Varying Radiation Escape Fractions. , keywords =. doi:10.3847/1538-4357/aaef75 , archivePrefix =. 1712.04464 , primaryClass =

    work page internal anchor Pith review Pith/arXiv arXiv doi:10.3847/1538-4357/aaef75

  39. [39]

    Parametrizing the Reionization History with the Redshift Midpoint, Duration, and Asymmetry

    Parametrizing the Reionization History with the Redshift Midpoint, Duration, and Asymmetry. , keywords =. doi:10.3847/2041-8213/aabff0 , archivePrefix =. 1804.00672 , primaryClass =

    work page internal anchor Pith review Pith/arXiv arXiv doi:10.3847/2041-8213/aabff0 2041

  40. [40]

    , keywords =

    Evidence for asymmetric reionization histories from a joint analysis of the cosmic microwave background and astrophysical data. , keywords =. doi:10.1103/PhysRevD.111.043532 , archivePrefix =. 2405.09506 , primaryClass =

    work page doi:10.1103/physrevd.111.043532

  41. [41]

    , keywords =

    Rapid Reionization by the Oligarchs: The Case for Massive, UV-bright, Star-forming Galaxies with High Escape Fractions. , keywords =. doi:10.3847/1538-4357/ab7cc9 , archivePrefix =. 1907.13130 , primaryClass =

    work page doi:10.3847/1538-4357/ab7cc9 1907

  42. [42]

    , keywords =

    (Re)Solving reionization with Ly : how bright Ly Emitters account for the z ≍ 2-8 cosmic ionizing background. , keywords =. doi:10.1093/mnras/stac801 , archivePrefix =. 2110.11967 , primaryClass =

    work page doi:10.1093/mnras/stac801

  43. [43]

    , keywords =

    Census of Ly Emission from 600 Galaxies at z = 5─14: Evolution of the Ly Luminosity Function and a Late Sharp Cosmic Reionization. , keywords =. doi:10.3847/1538-4365/adc690 , archivePrefix =. 2501.05834 , primaryClass =

    work page doi:10.3847/1538-4365/adc690

  44. [44]

    , keywords =

    Age dependence of Ly escape fraction of Ly emitters and their significant role in cosmic reionization. , keywords =. doi:10.1093/mnras/staf1377 , archivePrefix =. 2506.03242 , primaryClass =

    work page doi:10.1093/mnras/staf1377

  45. [45]

    arXiv e-prints , keywords =

    Rapid late-time reionization: constraints and cosmological implications. arXiv e-prints , keywords =. doi:10.48550/arXiv.2508.21069 , archivePrefix =. 2508.21069 , primaryClass =

    work page doi:10.48550/arxiv.2508.21069

  46. [46]

    arXiv e-prints , keywords =

    A New Constraint on the Optical Depth from the Reionization History Independent of CMB Large-Scale E-Mode Polarization. arXiv e-prints , keywords =. doi:10.48550/arXiv.2601.09644 , archivePrefix =. 2601.09644 , primaryClass =

    work page doi:10.48550/arxiv.2601.09644

  47. [47]

    Cosmic microwave background constraints on the duration and timing of reionization from the South Pole Telescope

    Cosmic Microwave Background Constraints on the Duration and Timing of Reionization from the South Pole Telescope. , keywords =. doi:10.1088/0004-637X/756/1/65 , archivePrefix =. 1111.6386 , primaryClass =

    work page internal anchor Pith review Pith/arXiv arXiv doi:10.1088/0004-637x/756/1/65

  48. [48]

    , keywords =

    Measuring the reionization optical depth without large-scale CMB polarization. , keywords =. doi:10.1103/PhysRevD.109.103519 , archivePrefix =. 2312.06482 , primaryClass =

    work page doi:10.1103/physrevd.109.103519

  49. [49]

    doi:10.1088/1475-7516/2025/06/008 , archiveprefix =

    , keywords =. doi:10.1088/1475-7516/2025/06/008 , archiveprefix =. 2407.04607 , primaryclass =

    work page doi:10.1088/1475-7516/2025/06/008 2025

  50. [50]

    , keywords =

    Addressing Tensions in CDM Cosmology by an Increase in the Optical Depth to Reionization. , keywords =. doi:10.1103/6r54-8lv4 , archivePrefix =. 2504.16932 , primaryClass =

    work page doi:10.1103/6r54-8lv4

  51. [51]

    , keywords =

    Inferring reionization and galaxy properties from the patchy kinetic Sunyaev-Zel'dovich signal. , keywords =. doi:10.1093/mnras/stad2961 , archivePrefix =. 2307.01265 , primaryClass =

    work page doi:10.1093/mnras/stad2961

  52. [52]

    , keywords =

    Inevitable imprints of patchy reionization on the cosmic microwave background anisotropy. , keywords =. doi:10.1093/mnras/staa3221 , archivePrefix =. 2005.05327 , primaryClass =

    work page doi:10.1093/mnras/staa3221 2005

  53. [53]

    The duration of reionization constrains the ionizing sources

    The duration of reionization constrains the ionizing sources. , keywords =. doi:10.1093/mnrasl/sly052 , archivePrefix =. 1712.06619 , primaryClass =

    work page internal anchor Pith review Pith/arXiv arXiv doi:10.1093/mnrasl/sly052

  54. [54]

    The Impact of baryonic physics on the kinetic Sunyaev-Zel'dovich Effect

    The Impact of Baryonic Physics on the Kinetic Sunyaev-Zel dovich Effect. , keywords =. doi:10.3847/1538-4357/aaa0da , archivePrefix =. 1710.02792 , primaryClass =

    work page internal anchor Pith review Pith/arXiv arXiv doi:10.3847/1538-4357/aaa0da

  55. [55]

    , year = 2017, month = jul, volume =

    Detecting Patchy Reionization in the Cosmic Microwave Background. , year = 2017, month = jul, volume =. doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.119.021301 , adsurl =

    work page doi:10.1103/physrevlett.119.021301 2017

  56. [56]

    The Global History of Reionisation

    The global history of reionization. , keywords =. doi:10.1093/mnras/stw3026 , archivePrefix =. 1605.05374 , primaryClass =

    work page internal anchor Pith review Pith/arXiv arXiv doi:10.1093/mnras/stw3026

  57. [57]

    Planck intermediate results. XLVII. Planck constraints on reionization history. , keywords =. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/201628897 , archivePrefix =. 1605.03507 , primaryClass =

    work page internal anchor Pith review Pith/arXiv arXiv doi:10.1051/0004-6361/201628897

  58. [58]

    The Evolution of the Intergalactic Medium

    The Evolution of the Intergalactic Medium. , keywords =. doi:10.1146/annurev-astro-082214-122355 , archivePrefix =. 1512.00086 , primaryClass =

    work page internal anchor Pith review Pith/arXiv arXiv doi:10.1146/annurev-astro-082214-122355

  59. [59]

    Contemporary Physics , keywords =

    Cosmic reionisation. Contemporary Physics , keywords =. doi:10.1080/00107514.2019.1631548 , archivePrefix =. 1907.06653 , primaryClass =

    work page doi:10.1080/00107514.2019.1631548 2019

  60. [60]

    Precision Epoch of Reionization studies with next-generation CMB experiments

    Precision epoch of reionization studies with next-generation CMB experiments. , keywords =. doi:10.1088/1475-7516/2014/08/010 , archivePrefix =. 1406.4794 , primaryClass =

    work page internal anchor Pith review Pith/arXiv arXiv doi:10.1088/1475-7516/2014/08/010 2014

  61. [61]

    Living Reviews in Computational Astrophysics , keywords =

    Modeling cosmic reionization. Living Reviews in Computational Astrophysics , keywords =. doi:10.1007/s41115-022-00015-5 , archivePrefix =. 2208.02260 , primaryClass =

    work page doi:10.1007/s41115-022-00015-5

  62. [62]

    Simulating cosmic reionization: How large a volume is large enough?

    Simulating cosmic reionization: how large a volume is large enough?. , keywords =. doi:10.1093/mnras/stt2497 , archivePrefix =. 1310.7463 , primaryClass =

    work page internal anchor Pith review Pith/arXiv arXiv doi:10.1093/mnras/stt2497

  63. [63]

    Patchy Screening of the Cosmic Microwave Background by Inhomogeneous Reionization

    Patchy screening of the cosmic microwave background by inhomogeneous reionization. , keywords =. doi:10.1103/PhysRevD.87.047303 , archivePrefix =. 1210.5507 , primaryClass =

    work page internal anchor Pith review Pith/arXiv arXiv doi:10.1103/physrevd.87.047303

  64. [64]

    , keywords =

    Cross-correlating the Patchy Screening and Kinetic Sunyaev─Zel'dovich Effects as a New Probe of Reionization. , keywords =. doi:10.3847/1538-4357/ae0e68 , archivePrefix =. 2501.07623 , primaryClass =

    work page doi:10.3847/1538-4357/ae0e68

  65. [65]

    , keywords =

    Reconstructing patchy helium reionization using the cosmic microwave background and large-scale structure. , keywords =. doi:10.1088/1475-7516/2024/10/034 , archivePrefix =. 2312.00118 , primaryClass =

    work page doi:10.1088/1475-7516/2024/10/034 2024

  66. [66]

    Reionization on Large Scales. III. Predictions for Low-l Cosmic Microwave Background Polarization and High-l Kinetic Sunyaev-Zel'dovich Observables. , keywords =. doi:10.1088/0004-637X/776/2/83 , archivePrefix =. 1211.2832 , primaryClass =

    work page internal anchor Pith review Pith/arXiv arXiv doi:10.1088/0004-637x/776/2/83

  67. [67]

    Reionization on Large Scales. II. Detecting Patchy Reionization through Cross-correlation of the Cosmic Microwave Background. , keywords =. doi:10.1088/0004-637X/776/2/82 , archivePrefix =. 1211.2822 , primaryClass =

    work page internal anchor Pith review Pith/arXiv arXiv doi:10.1088/0004-637x/776/2/82

  68. [68]

    Improving the convergence properties of the moving-mesh code AREPO

    Improving the convergence properties of the moving-mesh code AREPO. , keywords =. doi:10.1093/mnras/stv2380 , archivePrefix =. 1503.00562 , primaryClass =

    work page internal anchor Pith review Pith/arXiv arXiv doi:10.1093/mnras/stv2380

  69. [69]

    , keywords =

    E pur si muove: Galilean-invariant cosmological hydrodynamical simulations on a moving mesh. , keywords =. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2966.2009.15715.x , archivePrefix =. 0901.4107 , primaryClass =

    work page doi:10.1111/j.1365-2966.2009.15715.x 2009

  70. [70]

    , keywords =

    The AREPO Public Code Release. , keywords =. doi:10.3847/1538-4365/ab908c , archivePrefix =. 1909.04667 , primaryClass =

    work page doi:10.3847/1538-4365/ab908c 1909

  71. [71]

    Simulating galaxy formation with black hole driven thermal and kinetic feedback

    Simulating galaxy formation with black hole driven thermal and kinetic feedback. , keywords =. doi:10.1093/mnras/stw2944 , archivePrefix =. 1607.03486 , primaryClass =

    work page internal anchor Pith review Pith/arXiv arXiv doi:10.1093/mnras/stw2944

  72. [72]

    , keywords =

    The MillenniumTNG Project: the hydrodynamical full physics simulation and a first look at its galaxy clusters. , keywords =. doi:10.1093/mnras/stac3620 , archivePrefix =. 2210.10060 , primaryClass =

    work page doi:10.1093/mnras/stac3620

  73. [73]

    , keywords =

    Ly Emission at z = 7─13: Clear Evolution of Ly Equivalent Width Indicating a Late Cosmic Reionization History. , keywords =. doi:10.3847/1538-4357/ad38c2 , archivePrefix =. 2312.06804 , primaryClass =

    work page doi:10.3847/1538-4357/ad38c2

  74. [74]

    , keywords =

    Peering into cosmic reionization: Ly visibility evolution from galaxies at z = 4.5-8.5 with JWST. , keywords =. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/202449644 , archivePrefix =. 2402.11220 , primaryClass =

    work page doi:10.1051/0004-6361/202449644

  75. [75]

    , keywords =

    Minimum size of 21-cm simulations. , keywords =. doi:10.1093/mnras/staa1323 , archivePrefix =. 2004.06709 , primaryClass =

    work page doi:10.1093/mnras/staa1323 2004

  76. [76]

    , keywords =

    Early galaxy formation and its large-scale effects. , keywords =. doi:10.1016/j.physrep.2018.10.002 , archivePrefix =. 1809.09136 , primaryClass =

    work page doi:10.1016/j.physrep.2018.10.002 2018

  77. [77]

    , keywords =

    Galaxy Formation and Reionization: Key Unknowns and Expected Breakthroughs by the James Webb Space Telescope. , keywords =. doi:10.1146/annurev-astro-120221-044656 , archivePrefix =. 2110.13160 , primaryClass =

    work page doi:10.1146/annurev-astro-120221-044656

  78. [78]

    , keywords =

    Cosmic Microwave Background Anisotropies. , keywords =. doi:10.1146/annurev.astro.40.060401.093926 , archivePrefix =. astro-ph/0110414 , primaryClass =

    work page doi:10.1146/annurev.astro.40.060401.093926

  79. [79]

    Implications of WMAP 3 Year Data for the Sources of Reionization

    Implications of WMAP 3 Year Data for the Sources of Reionization. , keywords =. doi:10.1086/505644 , archivePrefix =. astro-ph/0604447 , primaryClass =

    work page internal anchor Pith review Pith/arXiv arXiv doi:10.1086/505644

  80. [80]

    , keywords =

    The cosmic microwave background and the ionization history of the Universe. , keywords =. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2966.2006.10983.x , archivePrefix =. astro-ph/0606552 , primaryClass =

    work page doi:10.1111/j.1365-2966.2006.10983.x 2006

Showing first 80 references.