Collaborative Research: 21 cm Reionization Science with the MWA

再电离时代(EoR)是早期宇宙中被认为是第一批恒星和星系形成的时期。理解星系形成和反馈的物理过程是现代宇宙学和天体物理学的主要目标之一。在早期宇宙中观测到的中性氢有可能彻底改变我们对这些第一批恒星和星系的理解。这项工作将改进Murchison Widefield阵列望远镜的数据分析，以便研究人员能够更好地检测这种微弱信号，使观测更加有用，并为从事类似项目的研究人员提供工具。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。本科生研究是为学生进入研究生院和更广泛的STEM劳动力市场的职位做准备的重要组成部分。为非传统本科生提供这种研究体验将使他们中的更多人能够继续读研究生，增加更广泛的STEM社区的多样性。该奖项支持一个成功的提高采收率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，并导致了世界上最深的EoR PS极限。调查人员将采取下一步措施，利用Murchison Widefield阵列(MWA)数据将限制减少另一个数量级。具体地说，这项工作将利用MWA改进PS分析，将信号强度的限制降低一个数量级，深度削减EOR模型可能的参数空间。这项研究对整个21厘米社区来说将是无价的。这一奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并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，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.