Forecast for the detectability of patchy hydrogen reionization in WEAVE-QSO measurements of the Lyman-α forest power spectrum at redshift z ≥ 4

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ID: 337748
2026
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Abstract
Abstract We present the first detailed forecasts for the detectability of patchy hydrogen reionization in the one-dimensional Lyα forest power spectrum to be measured by the WEAVE-QSO survey. Using the Sherwood-relics reionization simulations and a WEAVE-QSO survey configuration, we generate mock spectra in four redshift bins, z = 4.0, 4.2, 4.4, and 4.6, in which relic ionization and temperature fluctuations from patchy hydrogen reionization enhance the Lyα forest power spectrum on large scales (i.e., at wavenumber $k\sim 10^{-3}\rm \, s\, km^{-1}$). Our Lyα forest pipeline forecasts the power spectrum covariance by considering sample size, spectral resolution, noise subtraction, continuum placement, metal contamination, and damping wings from high-column density absorbers. Applying our covariance forecast within a Bayesian parameter inference framework, we find that the signature of patchy hydrogen reionization should be detectable at a significance of ≃ 4.5σ. The forthcoming WEAVE-QSO 1D power spectrum measurements should therefore be able to directly detect and characterize the large-scale relic imprint of patchy hydrogen reionization in the Lyα forest power spectrum at z ≥ 4.
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Authors Ke Ma, James S. Bolton, Vid Iršič, Prakash Gaikwad, Matthew M. Pieri, Trystyn A. M. Berg, Rajeshwari Dutta, Matteo Fossati, Michele Fumagalli, E. Gafton, Ignasi Pérez Ràfols, F. Pistis
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Journal monthly notices of the royal astronomical society
Year 2026
DOI
10.1093/mnras/stag2028
URL
https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stag2028
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