The reionization of the universe by the first stars and quasars

Abraham Loeb*, Rennan Barkana

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

300 Scopus citations

Abstract

The formation of the first stars and quasars marks the transformation of the universe from its smooth initial state to its clumpy current state. In popular cosmological models, the first sources of light began to form at a redshift z = 30 and reionized most of the hydrogen in the universe by z = 7. Current observations are at the threshold of probing the hydrogen reionization epoch. The study of high-redshift sources is likely to attract major attention in observational and theoretical cosmology over the next decade.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)19-66
Number of pages48
JournalAnnual Review of Astronomy and Astrophysics
Volume39
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - 2001
Externally publishedYes

Funding

FundersFunder number
Smithsonian Institution Visitor Program
National Science FoundationAST-9900877, AST-0071019
National Science Foundation
National Aeronautics and Space AdministrationNAG 5-7039, 5-7768
National Aeronautics and Space Administration

    Keywords

    • Cosmology
    • First galaxies
    • Intergalactic medium

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