Exploring cosmic rays ionization power

TUEROS, MATÍAS JORGE; DEL VALLE, M. V.; ROMERO, GUSTAVO E

Congreso; Second Argentinian-Brazilian Meeting GRACO 2; 2014

After the so-called cosmic recombination the expanding universeentered into a period of darkness, since most of the matter was in a neutralstate. However, about a billion years later the intergalactic space was once againionized. The process, known as the cosmic reionization, required the operationof mechanisms that are not well understood. Among other ionizing sources,Population III stars, mini-quasars, and X-ray emitting microquasars have beeninvoked. All these models relay on the ionizing power of photons. But whatabout charged particles?. In this contribution we quantify the ionization powerof cosmic rays (electrons and protons) in the primordial intergalactic medium.