Measuring the Reionization of the Universe and the Growth of Molecular Gas at Cosmic Dawn with TIME

随着时间的推移测量宇宙黎明时宇宙的再电离和分子气体的增长

• 批准号: 1910598
• 负责人: Abigail Crites
• 金额: $ 167.11万
• 依托单位: California Institute of Technology
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2019
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2019-09-01 至 2024-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1910598&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Measuring; Reionization; Universe; Growth; Molecular

This project will develop a novel instrument to study the faint objects in our universe across cosmic time. This project will illuminate how the first astronomical objects ionized neutral hydrogen in the universe, an epoch called reionization. The project will measure the rate at which new stars formed during this epoch. The project will also engage young scientists, particularly undergraduates and high school students from backgrounds that are typically underrepresented in STEM. The project will help the students build networks of mentors and peers at a variety of institutions. Such support networks are critical for advancement in astronomy. They are often weak or absent among students from marginalized groups. Thus this project will encourage broadening participation in science among undergraduates and graduate students.This project will build the Tomographic Ionized-carbon Mapping Experiment (TIME), a millimeter wavelength spectrometer. TIME has 16 spatial and 60 spectral pixels and spans a frequency range of 200-300 GHz. TIME will use a novel technique for studying the universe called line intensity mapping. Using this technique, investigators will robustly measure the 3D fluctuations that trace redshifted [CII] emission spanning the epoch of reionization to probe the evolution of our universe over that epoch. TIME will also detect low-redshift CO fluctuations and map the cosmic history of molecular gas, traced by the CO molecule, elucidating the role of this gas in the epoch of peak cosmic star formation (cosmic noon), which is a critical period of galaxy evolution.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

该项目将开发一种新的仪器来研究我们宇宙中跨越宇宙时间的微弱物体。这个项目将阐明第一个天文物体是如何电离宇宙中的中性氢的，这一时代被称为再电离。该项目将测量这一时期新恒星形成的速率。该项目还将吸引年轻的科学家，特别是本科生和高中生，他们的背景通常在STEM中代表性不足。该项目将帮助学生在各种机构建立导师和同行网络。这种支持网络对于天文学的进步至关重要。在边缘化群体的学生中，他们往往很弱或不存在。因此，本项目将鼓励扩大本科生和研究生对科学的参与。本项目将建立层析电离碳测绘实验（TIME），一个毫米波长光谱仪。TIME具有16个空间像素和60个光谱像素，频率范围为200-300 GHz。《时代》杂志将使用一种新的技术来研究宇宙，称为线强度映射。使用这种技术，研究人员将稳健地测量跨越再电离时代的红移[CII]发射的3D波动，以探测我们宇宙在该时代的演化。TIME还将探测低红移CO波动，绘制由CO分子追踪的分子气体的宇宙历史，阐明这种气体在宇宙星星形成高峰期（宇宙正午）的作用，这是星系演化的关键时期。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并被认为值得通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估来支持。

项目成果

Probing Cosmic Reionization and Molecular Gas Growth with TIME

• DOI: 10.3847/1538-4357/abfe62
• 发表时间: 2020-12
• 期刊: The Astrophysical Journal
• 作者: Guochao Sun;T. Chang;B. Uzgil;J. Bock;C. Bradford;V. Butler;Tessalie Caze-Cortes;Yun-Ting Cheng-Yun-Ting-C