EoR-Spec: Revealing the reionization of the Universe with CII intensity mapping

该项目将绘制星系的形成和演化以及宇宙的大尺度结构。该团队将设计、制造和使用成像光谱仪，称为EOR-Spec。EOR-Spec将绘制单个电离碳的远红外光谱线。这条碳线追踪恒星形成的地方，并允许绘制宇宙中很大一部分存在的恒星形成历史的地图。这样的映射也揭示了物质在宇宙中的潜在分布。这台仪器将利用位于智利北部一座18400英尺高的山上的新的优化望远镜来完成这项任务。该项目为研究生和本科生提供了一个培训基地。民盟和民盟已经或正在培训许多博士和本科生，包括女性和代表性不足的少数民族研究人员。这个项目试图开发一种仪器来研究星系中恒星形成的演化，从第一个星系形成的再电离时代(EOR)到接近宇宙正午。这是通过绘制大区域上158微米[CII]线发射的总和来实现的。由于[CII]线跟踪恒星的形成，而恒星的形成是在引力密度过高的情况下发生的，所以这张[CII]线强度图追踪了宇宙恒星的形成速率。它还照亮了潜在的和不断演变的宇宙网络。为了进行这样的测量，该团队将建立EOR-Spec。该仪器将部署在6米口径的Cerro Chajnantor Atcama望远镜(CCAT-PRIME)上，该望远镜位于智利北部海拔5600米，预计将在2021年底看到曙光。科学是由CCAT-PRIME和最先进技术的组合实现的：基于超材料减反射涂层的硅衬底反射镜和大尺寸动态电感探测器(KID)阵列的宽带法布里-佩罗涉仪(FPI)标准具。提名者已培养或正在培养20名博士和80名本科生。其中大约一半是女性，大约10人是代表不足的少数民族(URM)研究人员。来自当地K-12学校的学生将参观团队实验室，团队科学家将参观当地的K-12学校。该团队还计划访问虚拟实验室和夏季仪器和科学学生研讨会。这一奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This project will map the formation and evolution of galaxies and the large-scale structure of the Universe. The team will design, build and use an imaging spectrometer, which is referred to as EoR-Spec. EoR-Spec will map the far-infrared spectral line of singly ionized carbon. This carbon line traces where stars formed and allows mapping of the history of star formation over a large fraction of the universe’s existence. Such mapping also reveals the underlying distribution of matter in the universe. This instrument will utilize a new optimized telescope for this task located on an 18,400 foot mountain in northern Chile. This program provides a training ground for both graduate and undergraduate students. The PI and Co-I have trained, or are training, many PhDs and undergraduates including female and underrepresented minority researchers. This program seeks to develop an instrument to study the evolution of star formation in galaxies from the Epoch of Reionization (EoR), when the first galaxies were forming to near “Cosmic Noon”. This is done by mapping the aggregate 158 micron [CII] line emission over large regions. Since the [CII] line tracks star formation, and star formation occurs at gravitational over-densities, this [CII] line intensity mapping traces the cosmic star formation rate. It also illuminates the underlying and evolving Cosmic Web. To make such measurements, the team will build EoR-Spec. This instrument will deploy on the 6 meter aperture Cerro Chajnantor Atcama Telescope (CCAT-prime), which is located at 5600m elevation in northern Chile and is expected to see first light in late 2021. The science is enabled by CCAT-prime and a combination of state-of-the-art technologies: broad-band Fabry–Pérot interferometer (FPI) etalons based on silicon substrate mirrors with metamaterial antireflection coatings and large format Kinetic Inductance Detector (KID) arrays. The proposers have trained, or are training 20 PhDs and 80 undergraduates. About half of these are female and about 10 are underrepresented minority (URM) researchers. Students from local K-12 schools will visit team laboratories, and local K-12 schools will be visited by team scientists. The team also plans Virtual Lab Visits and summer student workshops on instrumentation and science.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.