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arXiv · astro-ph/0609375

Sterile dark matter and reionization

Alexander Kusenko
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Abstract

Sterile neutrinos with masses in the keV range can be the dark matter, and their emission from a supernova can explain the observed velocities of pulsars. The sterile neutrino decays could produce the x-ray radiation in the early universe, which could have an important effect on the formation of the first stars. X-rays could ionize gas and could catalyze the production of molecular hydrogen during the ``dark ages''. The increased fraction of molecular hydrogen could facilitate the cooling and collapse of the primordial gas clouds in which the first stars were formed.

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Alexander Kusenko. 2006-09-13. Sterile dark matter and reionization. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nuclphysbps.2007.08.141

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