Observations of the first light and the epoch of reionization

作     者：Xiaohui Fan Kavli Institute for Astronomy and Astrophysics, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China Steward Observatory, The University of Arizona, Tucson, 85721, USA 

作者机构：Kavli Institute for Astronomy and Astrophysics Peking University Beijing 100871 China Steward Observatory The University of Arizona Tucson 85721 USA 

出 版 物：《Research in Astronomy and Astrophysics》 (天文和天体物理学研究（英文版）)

年 卷 期：2012年第12卷第8期

页      面：865-890页

核心收录：

学科分类：070802[理学-空间物理学] 07[理学] 0708[理学-地球物理学] 

基　　金：supported by a David and Lucile Packard Fellowship the US National Science Foundation (NSF) Grants AST 08-06861 and AST 11-07682 

主　　题：galaxies: evolution    galaxies: formation    galaxies: high redshift   intergalactic medium    quasars: general    cosmology: large scale structure ofuniverse 

摘      要：Studying the first generation of stars, galaxies and supermassive black holes as well as the epoch of reionization is one of the fundamental questions of modern as- trophysics. The last few years have witnessed the first confirmation of the discoveries of galaxies, quasars and Gamma-Ray Bursts at z 〉 7, with possible detections at z - 10. There is also mounting evidence that cosmic reionization is a prolonged pro- cess that peaks around z - 10 and ends at z- 6 - 7. Observations of the highest redshift intergalactic medium and the most metal-poor stars in the Galaxy begin to constrain the earliest chemical enrichment processes in the Universe. These observa- tions provide a glimpse of cosmic history over the first billion years after the Big Bang. In this review, we will present recent results on the observations of the high-redshift Universe over the past decade, highlight key challenges and uncertainties in these observations, and preview what is possible with the next generation facilities in studying the first light and mapping the history of reionization.