“Astronomers may have been wrong about what ended the 'Cosmic Dark Age'”

Key points

• Astronomers question previous idea of what ended the Epoch of Reionization.
• New study argues LyC photons escaped due to early star radiation, not winds.
• Hubble observations of six compact starburst galaxies inform the findings.
• Two-phase process found: initial stellar winds permit LyC escape, later winds trap it.
• Results challenge simulations that tie reionization to supernova-driven winds.