Epoch of Reionization
Epoch of Reionization Working Group Introduction
When did the first generations of galaxies form? What were their properties? How did they interact with each other? What is the structure of the intergalactic medium during the first billion years? What is the thermal and ionization history of the baryons?
The footprint of these processes is imprinted in the Hydrogen gas the major constituent of the intergalactic medium) and can be probed by observations of its hyperfine spectral line transition (occurring at the rest frequency of 21-cm). We plan to use the SKA to carry out the deepest observations of the diffuse neutral Hydrogen gas to trace the evolution of cosmic structure in the 6 < z < 30 range, unveiling the epoch when the very first luminous structure were born and how their growth ionized the intergalactic medium.
Related 2015 “Advancing Astrophysics with the Square Kilometre Array” Chapters
- See appropriate section here
Related 2004 “Science with the Square Kilometre Array” Chapters
- “Probing the dark ages with the Square Kilometre Array” Carilli et al.
- “Observations of HI 21-cm absorption by the neutral IGM during the epoch of re-ionization with the Square Kilometre Array” Carilli et al.
Working Group Membership
Members of the the Epoch of Reionization Working group can be found here
Please contact the co-chairs if you are interested in joining the group.
The current co-chairs are:
- Abhirup Datta (IIT Indore, India), abhirup.datta@iiti.ac.in
- Andrei Mesinger (Scuola Normale Superiore, Italy), andrei.mesinger@sns.it
Membership details can be found here
Previous Chairs
- Gianni Bernardi 2017-2019
- Garrelt Mellema 2017-2019
- Jonathan Pritchard 2015-2017
- Leon Koopmans 2013-2015