Probing Cosmic Dawn with End-to-End Forward Models

用端到端正向模型探索宇宙黎明

• 批准号: 2206766
• 负责人: Judd Bowman
• 金额: $ 44.56万
• 依托单位: Arizona State University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2022
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2022-09-01 至 2025-08-31
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2206766&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Probing; Cosmic; Dawn; End; Forward

Direct observations of neutral hydrogen remain the most promising probes of "Cosmic Dawn". This project will combine state-of-the-art observations from two US-led experiments: the global Experiment to Detect the Global Epoch of Reionization (EoR) Signal (EDGES), and the interferometric Hydrogen Epoch of Reionization Array (HERA). The analysis of HERA data will discriminate between exotic explanations of EDGES’ results, including early radio-loud black holes and novel dark matter candidates beyond the standard model. On a broader level, the proposed project will deliver a common framework for combining different datasets focusing on Cosmic Dawn, increasing both the reliability and power of physical interpretations. This project will take place at a university that has a strong commitment to serving students from non-traditional backgrounds such as returning, first generation, and veteran students and will involve students in the successful Research Experiences for Non-Traditional Undergraduates program.The epoch of Cosmic Dawn, spanning a redshift of 12 to 30, encompasses the gravitational collapse of dark matter halos and the birth of the first stars and galaxies, and has far-reaching implications for both galaxy evolution and cosmology. Focusing on frequencies of 50-100 MHz – within which the first evidence for the first stars has been reported by EDGES, this program will implement a fundamentally new paradigm to account for systematics by defining modular end-to-end statistical forward models. Such forward models are the only rigorous way to account for systematic residuals and their effect on posterior constraints of astrophysics and cosmology. These forward models will be applied – both in isolation, and jointly – to forthcoming data from the third-generation EDGES experiment and the first data from the completed HERA Phase II array, yielding the most stringent physical inference to date during this epoch.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.

对中性氢的直接观测仍然是“宇宙黎明”最有前途的探测器，该项目将结合美国主导的两个实验的最先进观测结果：全球再电离时代（EoR）信号探测实验（EoR）。 EDGES），以及再电离阵列的干涉氢历元（HERA）。HERA 数据的分析将区分 EDGES 结果的奇异解释，包括早期的射电强黑洞和新的暗黑洞。在更广泛的层面上，拟议的项目将提供一个通用框架，用于组合关注宇宙黎明的不同数据集，从而提高物理解释的可靠性和力量。坚定地致力于为来自非传统背景的学生（例如归国学生、第一代学生和退伍军人）提供服务，并将让学生参与成功的非传统本科生研究体验计划。宇宙黎明时代，跨越 12 到 12 的红移30 号，暗物质晕的引力坍缩和第一批恒星的诞生和星系的诞生，对星系演化和宇宙学都有深远的影响，重点关注 50-100 MHz 的频率——其中第一批恒星的第一个证据。据 EDGES 报道，该计划将通过定义模块化端到端统计前向模型来实现一种全新的范式来解释系统性，这种前向模型是解释系统残差和的唯一严格方法。它们对天体物理学和宇宙学后验约束的影响将单独或联合应用于第三代 EDGES 实验的即将发布的数据和已完成的 HERA II 期阵列的第一批数据，从而产生最严格的数据。该奖项反映了 NSF 的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优点和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。