History of stellar evolution at high redshifts: Implications for the CMB E-mode polarization

Abstract

The epoch of the end of reionization and the Thomson optical depth to the cosmic microwave background depend on the power spectrum amplitude on small scales and on the ionizing photon emissivity per unit mass in collapsed halos. In this paper is investigated the role of the radiative feedback effects for the temporal evolution of the ionizing emissivity. It is shown that the observational constrains on hydrogen photo-ionization rate based on Ly-$α$, Ly-$β$ and Ly-$γ$ Gunn-Peterson troughs and an electron optical depth consistent with the latest CMB measurements requires an emissivity of $\sim$10 ionizing photons per baryon and Hubble time at $z=6$. Through E-mode CMB polarization power spectrum measurements, it is expected that Planck experiment will have the sensitivity to distinguish between different histories of stellar evolution.