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Description
Dark photons are dark massive vector gauge bosons that are one of the simplest extensions of the Standard Model. Through a kinetic mixing term, visible photons resonantly convert into dark photons when the plasma mass of an ionized gas is equal to the dark photon mass $m_{A'}$. This disappearance of Standard Model photons leaves a striking signature in a map of the 21-cm signal and enhances the 21-cm power spectrum. In this work, we analytically model the conversions from visible to dark photons in dark matter halos between $0.005 < z< 4$ and use 21cmFAST to simulate conversions that occur between $5<z<35$. We forecast sensitivities from HERA and SKA and demonstrate leading limits to dark photons with masses between $10^{-14}$ and $10^{-13}$ eV.
