February 25, 2026 | 3:30pm - 5:00pm
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02/25/2026 15:30
02/25/2026 17:00
University of Pennsylvania Astrophysics Seminar
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Topic: Detecting the 21 cm Signal from the Epoch of Reionization and Beyond
Speakers: Jonathan Pober, Brown University
More: https://www.ias.edu/sns/events/university-pennsylvania-astrophysics-seminar-44
21 cm cosmology -- the concept of using radio telescopes to observe
the highly redshifted 21 cm line of neutral hydrogen on cosmological
scales -- is a field with tremendous scientific potential. After
nearly 20 years of experimental effort, however, a detection of the
Epoch of Reionization (EoR) signal remains elusive. The fundamental
challenge is a sea of foreground emission nearly five orders of
magnitude stronger than the signal of interest, although the past two
decades have revealed just how much the design of the instrument plays
a role in compounding this problem. This talk will review the status
of the field, including the lessons learned from a now-concluded first
generation of experiments and updates from a second generation of
experiments nearing completion. I will particularly emphasize the
work being done with the Murchison Widefield Array (MWA) and our
efforts address the worsening challenge of human generated
radio-frequency interference (RFI). Even if successful, however,
these second generation experiments will only be the beginning for 21
cm cosmology, and I will conclude by discussing future directions for
the field, both on the ground and the lunar far side.
U.Penn, David Rittenhouse Laboratory, 4E19
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