Novel Millimeter-Wavelength Spectrometers for Studying the Epoch of Reionization

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The long term goal of my research program is to investigate the early universe (< 1 billion years after the Big Bang) through the development and use of advanced mm-wavelength instruments. I will develop instruments in my laboratory and deploy these instruments on telescopes located globally to study emission from galaxies during the epoch of reionization (EoR). Measurements made with these pioneering instruments will significantly enhance our understanding of astrophysics, cosmology, and the large-scale structure of the universe, all of which are challenges that lie within the natural sciences and engineering. The objectives of the proposed research are twofold: (1) make pioneering measurements of ionized carbon [CII] from galaxies in the early universe by completing, testing, and deploying TIME (Tomographic Ionized Carbon Intensity Mapping Experiment) [1], a novel mm-wavelength instrument; (2) to develop technology for next-generation mm-wavelength spectrometers using expertise and techniques from the pathfinder TIME, which will enable key cross-correlations with other probes of the EoR. Completing these objectives will allow us to understand the universe between 200 Myr and 1 Gyr after the Big Bang (6 < z < 20) when the first baryonic objects collapsed in dark matter halos, ignited the first stars, and produced enough energetic photons to reionize the surrounding neutral hydrogen gas. The physics during this epoch, the EoR, is largely unknown as it is one of the most observationally challenging epochs to study. It is essential to fill in this largely unknown epoch to understand the evolution of our universe and how the universe went from a primordial state to the complex, diverse environment of stars and galaxies we inhabit today. My research program is focused on developing state-of-the-art instrumentation and analysis to probe this epoch. My research will have a long-term impact on the field by leading discovery through advancing telescope instrumentation and novel observational probes. The [CII] line intensity mapping technique is a cutting edge new field of observational cosmology, and detection of the [CII] signal will set a strong foundation for building more powerful ground- and space-based mapping instrument platforms and for training the next generation of highly qualified personnel in Canada with expertise in this discipline. References: [1] A. T. Crites et al.Proc. SPIE 9153, Millimeter, Submillimeter, and Far-Infrared Detectors and Instrumentation for Astronomy VII, 91531W (August 2014).