Signatures of Intergalactic Dust from the First Supernovae

Abstract

We quantify the consequences of intergalactic dust produced by the first Type II supernovae in the universe. The fraction of gas converted into stars is calibrated based on the observed C/H ratio in the intergalactic medium at z = 3, assuming a Scalo mass function for the stars. The associated dust absorbs starlight energy and emits it at longer wavelengths. For a uniform mix of metals and dust with the intergalactic gas, we find that the dust distorts the microwave background spectrum by a y-parameter in the range (0.06-6) x 10-5 (MSN/0.3 Mȯ), where MSN is the average mass of dust produced per supernova. The opacity of intergalactic dust to infrared sources at redshifts of z >~ 10 is significant, tau dust = (0.1-1) x (MSN/0.3 Mȯ), and could be detected with the Next Generation Space Telescope. Although dust suppresses the Ly alpha emission from early sources, the redshifts of star clusters at z = 10-35 can be easily inferred from the Lyman limit break in their infrared spectrum between 1 and 3.5 mu m.