Estimation of the temperature-density relation in the intergalactic medium at z ∼ 2 – 4 via Lyα forest

Quasar spectra provide a unique opportunity to investigate the intergalactic medium at high redshifts. The spectral analysis of the Lya forest allows us to constrain the effective equation of state of the intergalactic medium and its changes during the evolution of the Universe. Based on the Voigt profile fitting of Lya forest lines in 50 high-resolution QSO spectra obtained at Keck telescope we present new measurements of the power-law index γ of temperature-density relation in IGM for six redshift bins in the range z = 1.6 – 3.7. We find that the IGM state is close to isothermal (γ ≈ 1) at z ∼ 3 which may indicate that HeII reionization occurred at this redshift. (paper)