Despite tremendous recent progress, gaps remain in our knowledge of our cosmic history. For example, we have yet to make direct observations of Cosmic Dawn or the subsequent Epoch of Reionization. Together, these represent the important period when the first stars and galaxies were formed, dramatically altering their surroundings in the process. Radio telescopes targeting the 21cm line will open up these crucial epochs to direct observations in the next few years, filling in a missing chapter in our cosmic story. I will review our recent results from the field, including a discussion of recent revisions to results from the Precision Array to Probe the Epoch of Reionization (PAPER) experiment. I will also describe our recently commenced Hydrogen Epoch of Reionization Array (HERA), giving an overview of its promise to provide exquisite constraints on reionization astrophysics, as well as our parallel efforts to build a more complete and data-driven model of the low-frequency radio sky.
Cody Hall, AB 107
Adrian C. Liu (McGill University)
March 27, 2019
3:00 pm - 4:00 pm