From the dark ages to the epoch of reionization

Описание: AP weekly specialised seminars / Friday 31 January 2020:
Léon V. E. KoopmansKapteyn Astronomical Institute, University of Groningen (Groningue, Pays-Bas)



“From the Dark Ages to the epoch of reionization: a radio quest for neutral hydrogen in the Infant Universe”


Detection of the redshifted 21-cm signal of neutral hydrogen from the Cosmic Dawn and Epoch of Reionization (EoR) promises a new avenue to study physical processes of early star and galaxy formation during the first billion years of the Universe. These eras form the foundation of our present-day observable Universe. The quest for a detection of this 21-cm signal has been exceedingly hard with current radio telescopes and has not yet been achieved, although steady progress is being made. I will give an overview of what can be learned from observing these early phases of the infant Universe as well as a broad review of some ongoing experiments aiming to detect this feeble signal. In particular, I will provide a status update on the LOFAR EoR Key Science Project and the challenges that it and other similar projects are facing. I will show that considerable progress has been made in the last years, but that not all challenges have yet been met. I will end by introducing several exciting new projects that we have recently started, to observe the Cosmic Dawn and the Dark Ages, for example with the French NenuFAR and the Dutch-Chinese NCLE mission in Lunar L2, and give a glimpse of future opportunities with the SKA and HERA.


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