Understanding Galaxies and Cosmological Hydrogen Reionization Together
by
K. Finlator(DARK)
→
Europe/Stockholm
Description
The unique challenges that arise as observations trace the earliest stages of structure
formation demand an all-of-the-above approach in which disparate probes can be
considered within a single framework. How do observations of metal absorbers,
Lyman Break Galaxies, and Lyman-α Emitters combine to inform our understanding of
galaxy growth in the hydrogen reionization epoch? Do galaxies, the Lyman-α forest,
and the cosmic microwave background all tell the same story? I will begin by discussing
recent progress in our theoretical understanding of galaxy growth, with an emphasis on
the interplay between hydrodynamic and photoionisation feedback. The current
consensus requires an abundant population of faint galaxies to provide the photons that
drove reionization; I will consider how faint the faintest galaxies may be and how future
observational campaigns can leverage existing and upcoming facilities to reach those
scales. Finally, I will discuss efforts to model galaxies, hydrogen reionization, and
the growth of the nascent ionising background within a unified model that is subject to the
widest possible variety of observational tests.
