Unveiling True Galaxy Abundance Evolution at z=6-15 with Precision Simulations and Analysis

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The aim of the proposal is to conduct cutting-edge computersimulations to help understand the increasingly rich observations ofthe young Universe. The simulations will study the damage wrought bythe brilliant life and explosive death of the first stars. Thematerial between the stars is cooked by intense, high-energy radiationand the simulations will study the consequences of thatcooking. Particles of dark, non-radiating matter respond to the forceof gravity, so dark matter could influence the formation of the firststars and galaxies. The simulations will study how this influencedepends on the mass assumed for these poorly-understood particles.Comparisons between the simulations and the growing body of ground-and space-based observations of the young Universe will significantlystrengthen the inferences drawn from those observations. The newsimulations will be suitably visualized and shown to the public in theIMAX theatre of the Rose-Hayden Planetarium of the American Museum ofNatural History in New York City. Prior videos from this team havebeen featured daily in that venue, making it an effective point ofpublic access especially for young viewers.