标题： 宇宙再电离和首批光源的射电天文探测：“黎明地带”探测 显示英文标题

标题： Radio astronomical probes of cosmic reionization and the first luminous sources: probing the 'twilight zone'

摘要： 再电离时代（EoR）对应于一个“宇宙相变时期”，当时由第一代恒星和/或活动星系核（AGN）电离了中性星系际介质（IGM）。虽然在最遥远类星体光谱中发现的Gunn-Peterson（GP）吸收谷以及宇宙微波背景辐射的大尺度偏振首次对EoR设定了严格的限制，但再电离的红移、过程以及首批发光天体的性质仍然是宇宙结构形成中的两个关键问题。此外，GP效应表明，在这个时期观测这些天体在小于约1微米的波长上将是困难的。因此，宇宙再电离以及首批发光天体的形成发生在“黄昏区”，只能在射电到近红外波段被观测到。在这次报告中，我探讨了在米波到亚毫米波波段研究EoR的研究工作。我介绍了最近对最遥远类星体宿主星系中的尘埃、分子气体以及恒星形成活动的观测结果。这些结果对金属和尘埃富集的时间尺度、超大质量黑洞与星系是否同时形成的可能性以及再电离的过程有着有趣的启示。随后，我讨论了低频射电天文学未来研究中性IGM通过HI 21厘米线的能力，包括发射的大尺度结构成像和功率谱分析，以及向第一批射电源吸收研究的方向发展。最后，我总结了VLA-VHF系统在190 MHz HI 21厘米线中研究与最高红移SDSS QSOs相关的宇宙斯特罗姆根球体的工作。 显示英文摘要

摘要： The epoch of reionization (EoR) corresponds to a 'cosmic phase transition', when the neutral intergalactic medium (IGM) becomes ionized by the first stars and/or AGN. While the discoveries of Gunn-Peterson (GP) absorption troughs in the spectra of the highest redshift QSOs, and large scale polarization of the CMB, have set the first hard constraints on the EoR, the redshift and process of reionization, and the nature of the first luminous objects, remain two of the paramount questions in cosmic structure formation. Moreover, the GP effect is such that observations of objects during this epoch will be difficult at wavelengths shorter than about 1 micron. Hence, cosmic reionization, and the formation of the first luminous objects, occurs in a 'twilight zone', observable only at radio through near-IR wavelengths. In this talk I explore studies of the EoR at meter through submillimeter wavelengths. I present recent observations of the dust, molecular gas, and star formation activity in the host galaxies of the highest redshift QSOs. These results have interesting implications on the timescale for metal and dust enrichment, on the possibility of co-eval formation of SMBHs and galaxies, and on the process of reionization. I then discuss future capabilities of low frequency radio astronomy to study the neutral IGM via the HI 21cm line, including imaging and power spectral analyses of large scale structure in emission, and absorption studies toward the first radio loud sources. I conclude with a summary of the VLA-VHF system to study cosmic Stromgren spheres associated with the highest redshift SDSS QSOs in the HI 21cm line at 190 MHz.