Title: Epoch of Reionization and its Cosmological Probes

Speaker: Yi Mao

Institute: Tsinghua University

Host: Siyi Feng

Time: 14:30-16:30, Thursday, April, 13

Location: Physics Building 117

Abstract:

The epoch of reionization (EoR) is one of major phase changes in the cosmic history. In this talk, we will report our recent progresses in probing the EoR with HI 21cm intensity mapping and Lyman-alpha forest. (1) The 21cm data analysis involves a series of steps including RFI flagging, foreground subtraction, and scientific interpretation. Towards future SKA observations, we develop new machine-learning-based tools for RFI flagging and Bayesian inference of reionization model parameters, and propose a semi-blind PCA-based algorithm for foreground subtraction. (2) We propose to exploit the low-redshift (i.e. in the post-reionization era) Lyman-alpha forest power spectrum as a new window into cosmic reionization, and forecast the capability for constraining reionization parameters with DESI.

Bio：

Prof. Yi Mao obtained his Bachelor in physics at Peking University, and Ph.D. in physics at MIT in 2008. He was a postdoc at the University of Texas at Austin and later a Lagrange postdoctoral Fellow at the Institut d'Astrophysique de Paris (IAP). In 2015, he joined Tsinghua University and is now a (tenured) associate professor at the Department of Astronomy. Prof. Yi Mao works mainly on cosmic dawn and the epoch of reionization, and the cosmological probes such as the HI 21 cm intensity mapping and Lyman-alpha forest. His main research tools are theoretical modeling, numerical and seminumerical simulations, and data analysis with machine learning techniques. He is the PI of the MOST SKA program “Theories and Numerical Simulations in Cosmic Reionization”.