Atomic, molecular, and Optical physics in the early universe: From recombination to reionization

Our knowledge of the evolution of the early Universe hinges, in part, on our understanding of the underlying atomic, molecular, and optical (AMO) processes occurring during that epoch. Here we review the relevant AMO physics from when it first became important at a redshift of z~. 6000, some 18,000. years after the Big Bang when electrons and ions began to recombine. The review continues through the formation of the first stars and galaxies and concludes after the radiation from these first objects has reionized the Universe at a z~. 10, about a billion years after the Big Bang. © 2014 Elsevier Inc