3 March 2011

Speaker: Judd Bowman (Arizona State University)

Title:Data and Results! Redshifted 21 cm Cosmology Has Begun

Abstract: For the first time, observations targeting the highly redshifted 21 cm line have yielded a direct probe of neutral hydrogen in the intergalactic medium during the epoch of reionization. The Experiment to Detect the Global Epoch of Reionization Signature (EDGES) has constrained the duration of reionization to span a redshift interval longer than dz>0.1, providing empirical confirmation of the theoretical expectation that reionization could not have progressed extremely rapidly. The instrumental techniques employed by EDGES are simple and inexpensive compared to larger projects such as LOFAR and the Murchison Widefield Array (MWA), yet hold the potential for unique new constraints on the properties of early luminous sources. I will present the latest results and future plans for probing the reionization history and era of first light in more detail with EDGES, as well as a brief overview of the status of the MWA.

Video of the Presentation (Talks can be viewed with RealPlayer. Free download is available from www.real.com )