Probing the Cosmic Dawn and Epoch of Re-ionization with REACH

Lead Research Organisation: UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE
Department Name: Physics

Abstract

The Big Bang model for the origin and initial evolution of the Universe is by now a familiar and well-studied research field. The subsequent, late time, evolution of stars and other celestial objects over billions of years is perhaps even better understood. Less is known, however, about the time between these periods (from about 0.35 to 1 billion years after the Big Bang). During this time the Universe transitioned from being a vast volume filled with a cooling neutral gas to become the realm of cosmic objects that we can now observe from Earth.

At the beginning the Universe was filled with a hot, dense fog of ionized gas until the continued expansion and cooling allowed electrons and protons to combine and form the first neutral atoms, eg. hydrogen. Eventually, the neutral matter clumped together under the effects of gravity, providing the conditions for nuclear fusion to occur, leading to the birth of the first stars and galaxies (period known as the Cosmic Dawn). Subsequently, these objects heated and re-ionised the surrounding hydrogen in the Universe during the Epoch of Re-ionization.

Researchers speculate that electromagnetic signals from those times should be detectable from Earth at frequencies around the FM band and could be used to study the early Universe. Our best estimations indicate that by using a single antenna radio telescope we should be able to detect the elusive radio waves from this period. However, this will require, as a minimum, calibrating the response of the radio receiver to unprecedented levels. Using my experience designing radio sensors for the super telescope Square Kilometre Array and the Hydrogen Epoch of Re-ionization Array, I will focus my work on developing and operating a simple, very stable, easily calibratable sensor of electromagnetic waves capable of detecting these extremely faint theorized signals if operated from a remote radio quiet zone such as desert areas far away from human-made radio signals and interference.

This experiment is called REACH (Radio Experiment for the Analysis of Cosmic Hydrogen), and it will aim at opening a window to these early epochs of the Universe by observing radio signals naturally emitted by hydrogen from the semi-desertic region of the Karoo in South Africa. Hydrogen was the raw material forming the very first stars but also these same hydrogen clouds filling the Universe at the time stop us from directly observing the light from these first stars. Thus, we aim to look at these stars through their interaction with the hydrogen clouds in the same way one would infer a landscape by looking at the shadows in the fog covering it.

Publications

10 25 50
 
Description STFC Astronomy Roadmap 2022
Geographic Reach National 
Policy Influence Type Contribution to a national consultation/review
URL https://www.ukri.org/publications/stfc-astronomy-advisory-roadmap-2022/
 
Description Probing the Cosmic Dawn and Epoch of Re-ionization with the REACH experiment
Amount £2,361,773 (GBP)
Funding ID EP/Y02916X/1 
Organisation Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) 
Sector Public
Country United Kingdom
Start 09/2023 
End 09/2028
 
Description Radio Experiment for the Analysis of Cosmic Hydrogen (REACH) 
Organisation Arizona State University
Country United States 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution Project lead, design lead, data analysis and theory lead
Collaborator Contribution Design support, commissioning lead, data analysis and theory support
Impact 33 journal papers, 16 conference proceedings, multiple press releases... https://reach-telescope.github.io/papers-list/
Start Year 2017
 
Description Radio Experiment for the Analysis of Cosmic Hydrogen (REACH) 
Organisation Catholic University of Louvain
Country Belgium 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution Project lead, design lead, data analysis and theory lead
Collaborator Contribution Design support, commissioning lead, data analysis and theory support
Impact 33 journal papers, 16 conference proceedings, multiple press releases... https://reach-telescope.github.io/papers-list/
Start Year 2017
 
Description Radio Experiment for the Analysis of Cosmic Hydrogen (REACH) 
Organisation Imperial College London
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution Project lead, design lead, data analysis and theory lead
Collaborator Contribution Design support, commissioning lead, data analysis and theory support
Impact 33 journal papers, 16 conference proceedings, multiple press releases... https://reach-telescope.github.io/papers-list/
Start Year 2017
 
Description Radio Experiment for the Analysis of Cosmic Hydrogen (REACH) 
Organisation Leibniz Association
Department Leibniz Institute for Astrophysics Potsdam
Country Germany 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution Project lead, design lead, data analysis and theory lead
Collaborator Contribution Design support, commissioning lead, data analysis and theory support
Impact 33 journal papers, 16 conference proceedings, multiple press releases... https://reach-telescope.github.io/papers-list/
Start Year 2017
 
Description Radio Experiment for the Analysis of Cosmic Hydrogen (REACH) 
Organisation National Institute for Astrophysics
Country Italy 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution Project lead, design lead, data analysis and theory lead
Collaborator Contribution Design support, commissioning lead, data analysis and theory support
Impact 33 journal papers, 16 conference proceedings, multiple press releases... https://reach-telescope.github.io/papers-list/
Start Year 2017
 
Description Radio Experiment for the Analysis of Cosmic Hydrogen (REACH) 
Organisation Rhodes University
Country South Africa 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution Project lead, design lead, data analysis and theory lead
Collaborator Contribution Design support, commissioning lead, data analysis and theory support
Impact 33 journal papers, 16 conference proceedings, multiple press releases... https://reach-telescope.github.io/papers-list/
Start Year 2017
 
Description Radio Experiment for the Analysis of Cosmic Hydrogen (REACH) 
Organisation South African Radio Astronomy Observatory
Country South Africa 
Sector Public 
PI Contribution Project lead, design lead, data analysis and theory lead
Collaborator Contribution Design support, commissioning lead, data analysis and theory support
Impact 33 journal papers, 16 conference proceedings, multiple press releases... https://reach-telescope.github.io/papers-list/
Start Year 2017
 
Description Radio Experiment for the Analysis of Cosmic Hydrogen (REACH) 
Organisation Tata Institute of Fundamental Research
Department Centre for Applicable Mathematics
Country India 
Sector Private 
PI Contribution Project lead, design lead, data analysis and theory lead
Collaborator Contribution Design support, commissioning lead, data analysis and theory support
Impact 33 journal papers, 16 conference proceedings, multiple press releases... https://reach-telescope.github.io/papers-list/
Start Year 2017
 
Description Radio Experiment for the Analysis of Cosmic Hydrogen (REACH) 
Organisation University Paris Sud
Country France 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution Project lead, design lead, data analysis and theory lead
Collaborator Contribution Design support, commissioning lead, data analysis and theory support
Impact 33 journal papers, 16 conference proceedings, multiple press releases... https://reach-telescope.github.io/papers-list/
Start Year 2017
 
Description Radio Experiment for the Analysis of Cosmic Hydrogen (REACH) 
Organisation University of Côte d'Azur
Country France 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution Project lead, design lead, data analysis and theory lead
Collaborator Contribution Design support, commissioning lead, data analysis and theory support
Impact 33 journal papers, 16 conference proceedings, multiple press releases... https://reach-telescope.github.io/papers-list/
Start Year 2017
 
Description Radio Experiment for the Analysis of Cosmic Hydrogen (REACH) 
Organisation University of Groningen
Country Netherlands 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution Project lead, design lead, data analysis and theory lead
Collaborator Contribution Design support, commissioning lead, data analysis and theory support
Impact 33 journal papers, 16 conference proceedings, multiple press releases... https://reach-telescope.github.io/papers-list/
Start Year 2017
 
Description Radio Experiment for the Analysis of Cosmic Hydrogen (REACH) 
Organisation University of Malta
Department Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology
Country Malta 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution Project lead, design lead, data analysis and theory lead
Collaborator Contribution Design support, commissioning lead, data analysis and theory support
Impact 33 journal papers, 16 conference proceedings, multiple press releases... https://reach-telescope.github.io/papers-list/
Start Year 2017
 
Description Radio Experiment for the Analysis of Cosmic Hydrogen (REACH) 
Organisation University of Oxford
Department Oxford Hub
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution Project lead, design lead, data analysis and theory lead
Collaborator Contribution Design support, commissioning lead, data analysis and theory support
Impact 33 journal papers, 16 conference proceedings, multiple press releases... https://reach-telescope.github.io/papers-list/
Start Year 2017
 
Description Radio Experiment for the Analysis of Cosmic Hydrogen (REACH) 
Organisation University of Stellenbosch
Country South Africa 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution Project lead, design lead, data analysis and theory lead
Collaborator Contribution Design support, commissioning lead, data analysis and theory support
Impact 33 journal papers, 16 conference proceedings, multiple press releases... https://reach-telescope.github.io/papers-list/
Start Year 2017
 
Description Annual 21cm global workshop 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Postgraduate students
Results and Impact A workshop dedicated to discuss advances in 21-cm cosmology
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2018,2019,2020,2021,2022,2023,2024,2025
URL https://global21cmworkshop.org
 
Description EuCAP conference 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Postgraduate students
Results and Impact A conference dedicated to discuss advances on antenna science
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2014,2015,2016,2017,2018,2019,2020,2021,2022,2023,2024,2025
URL https://www.eucap2025.org