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The First Stars and Galaxies: Challenges for the Next Decade Participants
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Talk
Title: Hunting for Signatures of First Galaxies in the Infrared Background Author(s): Asantha Cooray Abstract: We will summarize results from an observational program to search for signatures of first galaxies, quasars, and reionization in the near-IR background. Theoretical motivation for the ongoing observational program will be first summarized, especially given that the LFs of existing Lyman-break dropouts at z > 7 only account for 25% of the UV photon background needed to reionize or maintain reionization of the Universe at these redshifts. We will present both published and unpublished (new WFC3 results) from Spitzer and HST NICMOS/WFC3 on fluctuations and the sounding rocket CIBER on the absolute EBL, putting strong constraints on the surface density of first galaxies and the faint-end slope of their LFs. Finally, we'll discuss a small instrument piggy-backing on an outer Solar system mission as a probe of a precision EBL spectrum, which when combined with JWST, is capable of separating and establishing the integrated UV background responsible for reionization.
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