A fresh look into the high-resolution Lyman-alpha forest: searching for deviations from the standard model for the intergalactic medium and measuring better its thermal history

为了建立宇宙演化的完整模型，我们需要了解所有组成部分是如何演化的。 星系间物质的起源和演化--星系际介质（IGM）--是一个尚未得到很好理解的组成部分。这项研究的目标是联合收割机非常高质量的类星体光谱分析与理论的考虑，以回答有关IGM的演变开放的问题。 这项工作的更广泛的影响包括指导代表性不足的大一本科生，研究生的培训，以及在西雅图地区天文学会和公立学校的一系列公开讲座。这项工作将解决有关莱曼α森林研究的几个重要问题，包括IGM进化的标准图片的测试。通过将高分辨率类星体光谱与数值模拟相结合，我们的目标是使现有的观测结果与莱曼α森林的理论预期相一致。

In order to develop a complete model of the evolution of the Universe, we need to understand how all the components have evolved. One component that is not well understood is the origin and evolution of the material between galaxies - the intergalactic medium (IGM). The goal of this research is to combine an analysis of very high quality quasar spectra with theoretical considerations to answer open questions about the evolution of the IGM. Broader impacts of the work include mentoring of underrepresented freshman undergraduates, training of a graduate student, and a series of public lectures in the Seattle area to astronomical societies and public schools.The work will address several important issues concerning studies of the Lyman-alpha forest, including a test of the standard picture of IGM evolution. By combining high-resolution quasar spectra with numerical simulations, the objective is to reconcile the existing observations with theoretical expectations for the Lyman-alpha forest.