New Cosmological Constraints from the Lyman-alpha Forest

研究人员将使用星系间氢地图来更好地了解宇宙是如何开始的。氢是宇宙中最常见的元素，在明亮物体的背光下可以看到。 观测到的氢气在天空中的分布图，为我们提供了关于宇宙是如何以及为什么看起来是这样的重要见解。 该项目将使用新的计算机模拟技术来更好地解释观测到的氢图。这些模拟将广泛提供给科学家和公众。 这些模拟也将在公开演讲中展示，并用于在加州大学滨江教授宇宙学。 此外，该计划将为K-12学生开发一个实践研讨会，与下一代科学标准（NGSS）兼容，英语和西班牙语。该计划将从宇宙中中性氢的分布产生新的宇宙学参数约束。将进行一系列宇宙学模拟，并向社区提供公共似然函数。研究人员将为暗能量光谱仪（DESI）在2021年发布的第一个主要数据做准备。将对气体温度和除氢以外的元素实施改进的模型。该计划将限制中微子质量和暴胀模型。这些结果将使其他各种扩展标准宇宙学模型的工作成为可能。 针对K-12学生的天文学研讨会将包括采用认知学习策略的活动，帮助学生将抽象概念与具体经验联系起来。该奖项反映了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 investigators will use intergalactic hydrogen maps to better understand how the Universe began. Hydrogen, the most common element in the Universe, is seen when backlit by bright objects. The observed maps of hydrogen across the sky yields important insights about how and why the Universe looks the way it does. This project will use new computer simulation techniques to better explain the observed hydrogen maps. These simulations will be made available widely to scientists and the general public. The simulations will also be shown in public talks and used to teach cosmology at UC Riverside. Additionally, this program will develop a hands-on workshop for K-12 students, compatible with the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), in both English and Spanish.This program will produce new constraints on cosmological parameters from the distribution of neutral hydrogen in the Universe. A suite of cosmological simulations will be performed, and a public likelihood function made available to the community. The investigators will prepare for the first major data release in 2021 by the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI). Improved models will be implemented for gas temperature and for elements other than hydrogen. The program will constrain neutrino mass and models of inflation. The results will enable a variety of other work on extensions to the standard cosmological model. The astronomy workshops for K-12 students will include activities adopting a cognitive learning strategy, helping students to connect abstract concepts to concrete experiences.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.