Harnessing the Power of Gravitational Lensing [slides]
David Caro building, Level 6 Geoff Opat room
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Dr Rachael Livermore, Postdoctoral fellow
University of Melbourne
Email: r.c.livermore[at]astro.as.utexas.edu
Abstract
The magnifying power of gravitational lensing allows us to study distant galaxies in unprecedented detail. At moderate redshifts (1 < z < 5) the spatial magnification allows us to examine the kinematics and morphologies of 'normal' star-forming galaxies, revealing the processes that lead to the clumpy star formation observed in this epoch. At the highest redshifts (6 < z < 10), the flux magnification from lensing allows us to directly observe dwarf galaxies in the first billion years of the Universe, probing the faint end of the luminosity function where the majority of the ionizing photons that contribute to reionization originate. I will also discuss prospects for JWST in studying the first galaxies and the epoch of reionization.