Metal Absorption Lines as Probes of the Intergalactic Medium Prior to the Reionization Epoch

Abstract

Winds from star-forming galaxies provide the most promising explanation for the enrichment of the intergalactic medium with heavy elements. Theoretical and observational arguments indicate that the pollution may have occurred at z > 6; however, direct observational tests of such a scenario are needed. We model starburst winds in the high-redshift universe and find that the fraction of space filled by enriched material varies strongly with the assumed star formation efficiency f_* and the fraction of supernova energy powering each wind, f_esc. We show that metals carried by these winds can be seen in absorption against bright background sources, such as quasars or gamma-ray bursts, in narrow lines with characteristic equivalent widths ~0.5 < W < 5 Angstrom. We argue that a substantial fraction of the metals in high-redshift winds are likely to reside in low ionization states (CII, OI, SiII, and FeII), but higher ionization states (CIV and SiIV) could also provide useful probes of the winds. The number of such lines can constrain both f_* and f_esc. Statistics of metal absorption lines can also be used to identify whether molecular hydrogen is an efficient coolant in the early universe and to study the initial mass function of stars at high redshifts.