Collaborative Research: 21 cm Reionization Science with the MWA

再电离时代（EoR）是宇宙早期的一段时间，人们认为这段时间是第一批恒星和星系形成的时候。了解EoR期间星系形成和反馈的物理学是现代宇宙学和天体物理学的关键目标之一。对早期宇宙中中性氢的观测有可能彻底改变我们对第一批恒星和星系的理解。这项工作将改进默奇森宽场阵列望远镜的数据分析，使研究人员能够更好地探测到这种微弱的信号，使观测结果更有用，并为从事类似项目的研究人员提供一个工具。此外，这项工作将继续并扩大为非传统本科生提供研究经验的倡议。本科研究是为学生准备研究生院和更广泛的STEM劳动力岗位的重要组成部分。为非传统的本科生提供这种研究经验，将使他们中的更多人能够继续读研究生，从而增加更广泛的STEM社区的多样性。该奖项支持了一个成功的EoR分析团队的持续工作。在过去的四年里，美国成像功率谱（PS）团队的创新推动了该领域的发展，并创造了世界上最深的EoR PS极限。研究人员将利用默奇森宽场阵列（MWA）的数据，采取下一步措施，将限制降低另一个数量级。具体来说，这项工作将改进使用MWA的PS分析，将信号强度的限制降低一个数量级，从而深入削减提高采收率模型的可能参数空间。这项研究将是无价的整个21厘米社区。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The Epoch of Reionization (EoR) is the period of time in the early Universe when it is thought that the first stars and galaxies formed. Understanding the physics of galaxy formation and feedback during the EoR is one of the key goals of modern cosmology and astrophysics. Observations of neutral hydrogen in the early Universe have the potential to revolutionize our understanding of these first stars and galaxies. This work will improve data analysis with the Murchison Widefield Array telescope so that researchers can make significantly better detections of such faint signals, making the observations much more useful and providing a tool for researchers engaged in similar projects. In addition, this work will continue and expand the initiative to provide Research Experiences for Non-Traditional Undergraduates. Undergraduate research is an essential component in preparing students both for graduate school and for positions in the broader STEM workforce. Providing this kind of research experience to non-traditional undergraduate students will enable more of them to go on to graduate school, increasing the diversity of the broader STEM community.This award supports the continued work of a successful EoR analysis team. Over the past four years innovations by the US imaging power spectrum (PS) team have driven the field forward and have led to the deepest EoR PS limits in the world. The investigators will make the next steps needed to reduce the limits by another order of magnitude with Murchison Widefield Array (MWA) data. Specifically, this work will make improvements in PS analyses with the MWA that will lower limits on the signal strength by an order of magnitude, making deep cuts into the possible parameter space for EoR models. This research will be invaluable for the entire 21 cm community.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.