Cosmic Reionization and the First Nonlinear Structures in the Universe

Abstract

In this introductory chapter, we outline expectations for when and how the hydrogen and helium atoms in the universe turned from neutral to ionized, focusing on the earliest, least well understood stages, and emphasizing the most important open questions. We include a historical summary, and highlight the role of reionization as one of the few milestones in the evolution of the universe since the Big Bang, and its status as a unique probe of the beginning stages of structure formation.