The billion light-year map: An update on charting the Universe with the MeerKAT radio telescope ~ Dr. Steve Cunnington (University of Manchester)

Abstract: Secrets regarding the nature of phenomena like dark energy and dark matter lie within the statistical distribution of the Universe's cosmic web. Cosmologists are therefore seeking new ways to map the foundational structure of our Universe and answer fundamental questions about its origins, evolution, and content. Radio telescopes are providing a novel way of charting large-scale cosmic structure across unprecedented volumes, spanning billions of light-years. I will provide an update on the latest research using world-leading telescopes like MeerKAT (a precursor for the Square Kilometre Array Observatory) to map radio emission from neutral hydrogen which traces the Universe's foundations. This method comes with major challenges such as removing bright foregrounds from the Milky Way and avoiding radio frequency interference from satellites and mobile communication towers. I will share our latest data, illustrating the extent of these problems. I'll balance this with a dose of hope by discussing techniques to overcome these problems and also reveal the science we are already leading the way with using these preliminary maps.