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Imaging the cosmic dawn and the first galaxies with 21cm and atomic line intensity mapping

Description du projet

Faire progresser les technologies d’observation en astrophysique

À l’approche du milliard d’années qui s’est écoulé depuis le Big Bang, le domaine de l’astrophysique a fait des progrès remarquables en élargissant son champ d’observation. Bien que cette période soit importante, elle reste au-dessous de l’ère critique au cours de laquelle les galaxies et les étoiles se sont formées, ce qui a conduit à l’ionisation et au réchauffement de l’univers, un phénomène appelé «processus de réionisation». Le projet FirstDawn, financé par le CER, vise à mettre au point un cadre théorique complet, accompagné de la création de trois sondes innovantes de 21 cm. Elles permettront aux astrophysiciens de construire des cartes tridimensionnelles de l’ère de la réionisation. Dans l’ensemble, le projet permettra d’obtenir des informations précieuses sur la formation et l’évolution des galaxies et des étoiles au cours de cette période charnière. Cela pourrait propulser la compréhension scientifique de l’astrophysique à des niveaux sans précédent.

Objectif

"Modern astrophysics has pushed the observational frontier to a time a billion years after the Big Bang. Lying beyond this frontier is the period when the first stars and galaxies formed, whose light heated and ionized the Universe in the process known as reionization. Understanding this ""epoch of reionization"" would fill in a key missing period in our picture of the history of the Universe. Existing observational techniques have scratched the surface, but new observational techniques are required to truly understand this early period of galaxy formation. My work will lay the theoretical foundations for three novel probes of this period - 21 cm tomography, the 21 cm global signal, and line intensity mapping - that would enable three dimensional maps of the epoch of reionization. If realized through challenging radio-frequency observations, these techniques would transform our understanding of the first galaxies.

Through this ERC starting grant, I will build the theoretical framework needed to predict and interpret observations of line emission from gas in and surrounding the first generation of galaxies. My team will aim to develop models of the interplay between radiation from the first galaxies and the heating, ionization, and illumination of hydrogen gas that lies in the space between galaxies. At the same time, we will build models of the formation and properties of the atomic and molecular gas that fills the space inside galaxies. By combining probes of this ""inner"" and ""outer"" space a complete nature of galaxy formation during the first billion years might be achieved. Analysis of sky averaged 21 cm observations will complement this with a broad overview of galaxies back to a few hundred million years after the big bang. This work will provide a clear theoretical road map to guide the design of next generation radio telescopes, such as the Square Kilometer Array, to achieve this ambitious goal."

Régime de financement

ERC-STG - Starting Grant

Coordinateur

IMPERIAL COLLEGE OF SCIENCE TECHNOLOGY AND MEDICINE
Contribution nette de l'UE
€ 1 495 220,00
Adresse
South kensington campus exhibition road
SW7 2AZ London
Royaume-Uni

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Région
London Inner London — West Westminster
Type d’activité
Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
Liens
Coût total
€ 1 495 220,00

Bénéficiaires (1)