Peering into the dark (ages) with low-frequency space interferometers

Koopmans, Léon V. E.Léon V. E.KoopmansBarkana, RennanRennanBarkanaBentum, MarkMarkBentumBERNARDI, GIANNIGIANNIBERNARDIBoonstra, Albert-JanAlbert-JanBoonstraBowman, JuddJuddBowmanBurns, JackJackBurnsChen, XueleiXueleiChenDatta, AbhirupAbhirupDattaFalcke, HeinoHeinoFalckeFialkov, AnastasiaAnastasiaFialkovGehlot, BharatBharatGehlotGurvits, LeonidLeonidGurvitsJelić, ViborViborJelićKlein-Wolt, MarcMarcKlein-WoltLazio, JosephJosephLazioMeerburg, DaanDaanMeerburgMellema, GarreltGarreltMellemaMertens, FlorentFlorentMertensMesinger, AndreiAndreiMesingerOffringa, AndréAndréOffringaPritchard, JonathanJonathanPritchardSemelin, BenoitBenoitSemelinSubrahmanyan, RaviRaviSubrahmanyanSilk, JosephJosephSilkTrott, CathrynCathrynTrottVedantham, HarishHarishVedanthamVerde, LiciaLiciaVerdeZaroubi, SaleemSaleemZaroubiZarka, PhilippePhilippeZarka2022-03-222022-03-2220210922-6435http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12386/31768The Dark Ages and Cosmic Dawn are largely unexplored windows on the infant Universe (z ~ 200-10). Observations of the redshifted 21-cm line of neutral hydrogen can provide valuable new insight into fundamental physics and astrophysics during these eras that no other probe can provide, and drives the design of many future ground-based instruments such as the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) and the Hydrogen Epoch of Reionization Array (HERA). We review progress in the field of high-redshift 21-cm Cosmology, in particular focussing on what questions can be addressed by probing the Dark Ages at z > 30. We conclude that only a space- or lunar-based radio telescope, shielded from the Earth's radio-frequency interference (RFI) signals and its ionosphere, enable the 21-cm signal from the Dark Ages to be detected. We suggest a generic mission design concept, CoDEX, that will enable this in the coming decades.STAMPAenPeering into the dark (ages) with low-frequency space interferometersArticle10.1007/s10686-021-09743-72-s2.0-85114175274https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10686-021-09743-7https://api.elsevier.com/content/abstract/scopus_id/851141752742021ExA....51.1641KFIS/05 - ASTRONOMIA E ASTROFISICAERC sectors::Physical Sciences and Engineering::PE9 Universe sciences: astro-physics/chemistry/biology; solar systems; stellar, galactic and extragalactic astronomy, planetary systems, cosmology, space science, instrumentation