Closing in on the HIdden universe  [slides]

Abstract

As the experiments looking to detect dark matter close in (coming from different directions on the Feynman Diagram), a small fraction of the baryon community is quietly anticipating a window on the universe (21cm neutral hydrogen) to de-fog a little. While theoretical simulators continue to grapple with the challenges of "mocking the universe", observers can focus on refining (or even just beginning to understand) the prescriptive, previously sub-grid, physics and chemistry that made the universe great. I will talk about how star formation and stellar mass in galaxy groups can possibly make more sense if we can see the faint stuff (stars and gas) that everyone assumed was unimportant.