The National Science Foundation (NSF) Division of Astronomical Sciences awarded a $199,461 Project Grant to the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) under the Mathematical and Physical Sciences program (CFDA 47.049). This 3-year grant supports the Tomographic Ionized-Carbon Mapping Experiment (TIME), an imaging spectrometer that will observe on the Arizona Radio Observatory 12-meter radio telescope at Kitt Peak.
The TIME instrument will map large portions of the sky to probe the early epochs of the universe by measuring bright ionized carbon emission from galaxies during the Epoch of Reionization, as well as carbon monoxide during the peak of star formation. This research aims to deepen understanding of how gas evolved into ionizing sources and how that ionization traces with large-scale structure. The funding will also support opportunities for student experiential learning and workforce development in experimental astrophysics techniques, with a focus on underrepresented groups in STEM. The resulting data and scientific publications will contribute to our knowledge of structure formation in the universe.
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