Abstract
The Hubble Space Telescope (HST) Ultra Deep Field 2012 (UDF12),
comprising the deepest near-infrared observations so far acquired by
HST, provides our most sensitive probe of the Epoch of Reionization -
the period when intergalactic hydrogen was first ionized. Determining
which sources provided the necessary ionizing photons for this important
transition in cosmic history is a key science goal and one now enabled
by the unique sensitivity afforded by the UDF12 program. Using deep
WFC3/IR images newly-obtained this year to provide refined and more
robust catalogs of the luminosity distribution and intrinsic properties
of galaxies at beyond redshift 6, the UDF12 results provide the most
detailed information to date on the Epoch of Reionization and the role
of early star forming galaxies. We demonstrate the significant advances
achieved by the UDF12 in comparison to the earlier UDF datasets and
discuss how the UDF12 results serve as our best preparation for future
high-redshift science programs with the James Webb Space Telescope later
this decade.
Original language | English |
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Publication status | Published - 1 Jan 2013 |
Event | AAS, 221st Meeting of the American Astronomical Society - California, Long Beach, United Kingdom Duration: 6 Jan 2013 → 10 Jan 2013 |
Conference
Conference | AAS, 221st Meeting of the American Astronomical Society |
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Country/Territory | United Kingdom |
City | Long Beach |
Period | 6/01/13 → 10/01/13 |