Lyman-alpha intensity mapping in the Hobby-Eberly Telescope Dark Energy Experiment

NSF Award Search · 01002526DB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT · $456,936 · view on nsf.gov ↗

Abstract

The Hobby-Eberly Telescope Dark Energy Experiment (HETDEX) is a cosmology survey designed to map out one million galaxies in the distant Universe. In this project, a team of scientists from the Missouri University of Science and Technology will pioneer a method for mapping matter in the universe, called Line Intensity Mapping. The spectrum of light on each direction on the sky can reveal a map of undetected galaxies along the line of sight, which comes from special Lyman-alpha photons that were emitted by hydrogen gas in those galaxies and then were redshifted to a particular wavelength in the observed spectrum. To interpret the HETDEX data, the team will construct simulated data from theoretical simulations of the universe. As part of this project, the team will offer summer workshops for undergraduate students to teach them data science skills and for Missouri K-12 educators. The goal of this project is to detect and interpret the Lyman-alpha intensity mapping signal on large scales at 1.9<z<3.5 in HETDEX. Specifically, the team will measure the cross-correlation signal between Lyman-alpha emitters (LAE) and the Lyman-alpha intensity map in the HETDEX survey. To properly test the analysis pipeline and interpret the measurement, the team will make full use of empirical but realistic synthetic galaxy simulations as well as a hydrodynamical simulation, incorporating the physics of radiative transfer. The mock simulations will also be useful to understand how LAE galaxies fo

Key facts

NSF award ID
2511145
Awardee
Missouri University of Science and Technology (MO)
SAM.gov UEI
Y6MGH342N169
PI
Shun Saito
Primary program
01002526DB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT
All programs
THEORETICAL & COMPUTATIONAL ASTROPHYSICS, OBSERVATIONAL ASTRONOMY
Estimated total
$456,936
Funds obligated
$456,936
Transaction type
Standard Grant
Period
10/01/2025 → 09/30/2028