Title: PAPER: The Precision Array To Probe The Epoch Of Reionization
Abstract: The epoch of reionization is the period in the universe’s history when the first stars and galaxies were forming. During this process, the first luminous objects ionized the neutral hydrogen medium that pervaded the universe. By measuring the strength and power spectrum of the hydrogen signal, we will be able to determine some fundamental properties of the early universe. We are building a low frequency radio interferometer called PAPER: The Precision Array to Probe the Epoch of Reionization, an instrument consisting of at least 128 specially designed dipoles to be located in the radio quiet region of Western Australia. Using this array, we will map the entire sky at frequencies of 100−200 MHz and will attempt to detect the power spectrum of the hydrogen signal. We are using an engineering array of eight dipoles in Green Bank, West Virginia, to study the gain and stability of our instrument and to develop new techniques for imaging with an interferometer over wide fields of view. We will complete our Green Bank array with a total of sixteen antennas this spring and deploy a 32-element array in Australia in the fall.
Publication Year: 2007
Publication Date: 2007-12-01
Language: en
Type: article
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Cited By Count: 8
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