Exploring the Cosmos from the Ends of the Earth

Abstract:
What did the universe look like when the first stars were born? Our universe's history leading up to and including this period of "cosmic dawn" is uncharted territory and is an exciting prospect for new explorations. Remarkably, it is possible to peer into our universe's distant past by observing hydrogen, which is the most abundant element. Hydrogen naturally "glows" at radio wavelengths and is thus a powerful tool for shedding light on the infant universe. Observing this signal requires specialized, custom-built radio telescopes that operate from locations that are extremely remote. Because the radio signals from the infant universe are very faint, they are easily drowned out by human-generated noise from sources such as radio and TV stations. I will describe how our team designs, builds, and installs radio telescopes at exceptionally radio-quiet sites, including Axel Heiberg Island in the Canadian high Arctic, and Marion Island in the sub-Antarctic. These telescopes will open new observational windows, allowing us to explore the early universe while we simultaneously explore the most radio-quiet corners of our earth.