Overview

Astronomy PhD student Phoebe Upton Sanderbeck will present about how measuring the temperature of the universe can help us understand its development.

The intergalactic medium (IGM) is the network of gas between galaxies that contains most of the matter in the universe. It is difficult to directly observe, but we can learn about the IGM through indirect detections and theoretical predictions. From indirect detections of the IGM through quasar spectra, we are able to determine the temperature of IGM at different evolutionary stages of the universe. Comparing these temperature measurements with our current predictions of star, galaxy, and quasar formation can help us understand the timeline of the universe.