Warm Dark matter constraints from the joint analysis of CMB, Ly α, and global 21 cm data

ABSTRACT With the help of our previously built MCMC (Markov chain Monte Carlo)-based parameter estimation package cosmoreionmc, we investigate in detail the potential of 21 cm global signal, when combined with cosmic microwave background (CMB) and observations related to the Quasar (QSO) absorption spectra, to constraint the mass of warm dark matter (WDM) particle. For the first time, we simultaneously vary all the free parameters (mass of WDM particle, cosmological parameters, and astrophysical parameters) in a joint analysis with CMB, observations related to the QSO absorption spectra and 21 cm global signal, to address the long-overlooked issue of the possible degeneracies between the dark matter particle mass mX and cosmological/astrophysical parameters. From the existing CMB and QSO absorption spectra data, we can rule out mX < 2.8 keV at 95 per cent confidence level. Including a mock 21 cm global signal in the redshift range z = 25−5 expected to be observed with upcoming instruments designed for global signal, the forecasted constraint is found to be much tighter mX > 7.7 keV, assuming that the true dark matter model is the usual cold dark matter. In case the mock 21 cm signal is constructed for dark matter particles having mX = 7 keV, our forecasts indicate that (mX/keV)−1 is in the range [0.1, 0.2] (95 per cent confidence level). This implies that the future 21 cm data should allow detection of the WDM particle mass if mX ∼ 7 keV.