Rationale
Significant progress by experiments trying to detect the Global 21cm signal from neutral hydrogen in the intergalactic medium during the Dark Ages, Cosmic Dawn, and the Epoch of Reionization (z>6) has increased the attention on this measurement from the Astrophysics, Particle Physics, and Cosmology communities. In particular, the EDGES experiment has reported an absorption feature that could correspond to the Global 21cm signal, but which is significantly deeper than theoretical models and has other characteristics that depart from expectations. Instrumental calibration, foreground removal, radio-frequency interference, and ionospheric effects remain as issues that transform this measurement into a daunting experimental effort.
In light of the above, we will host the Second Global 21cm Workshop at McGill University on October 7th-9th, 2019. This workshop will serve as a forum to discuss recent progress from all the Global 21cm experiments. We will have talks about theory, data analysis, and, above all, instrumental development and field work. We will also host several discussion sessions expecting the most important aspects and concerns being raised and addressed.
We look forward to great updates and enlightening interactions, debates, and lessons.
Organizers
Raul Monsalve (raul.monsalve AT mcgill.ca)Jordan Mirocha
Saurabh Singh
Cynthia Chiang
Jonathan Sievers
Robert Brandenberger
Announcements
| Date | Message |
|---|---|
| 2019-03-26 | Preliminary communication with different global 21cm experiments and researchers. |
| 2019-04-12 | First announcement sent out to invitees. |
| 2019-06-21 | Reminders sent out to invitees who had not replied. |
| 2019-07-14 | Asked invitees if invitation letter is needed. |
| 2019-08-05 | Logistics information uploaded to webpage. |
| 2019-09-07 | Email sent out to ask for talk titles and dietary restrictions. |
| 2019-09-24 | Reminder email sent out to ask for talk titles and dietary restrictions. |
| 2019-10-01 | Workshop agenda emailed and posted on the website. |
| 2019-10-03 | Agenda updated with modifications on Oct 9th. |
| 2019-10-04 | Email sent out with logistics details and agenda updates. |
| 2019-10-16 | Talks uploaded to webpage. |
Participants
| Name | Institution |
|---|---|
| Dominic Anstey | Cambridge |
| John Barrett | Haystack |
| Joelle Bégin | McGill |
| Gianni Bernardi | INAF Bologna |
| Judd Bowman | ASU |
| Robert Brandenberger | McGill |
| Paula Boubel | McGill |
| Ricardo Bustos | U.C. Santísima Concepción |
| H. Cynthia Chiang | McGill |
| Bryce Cyr | McGill |
| Abhirup Datta | IIT Indore |
| Mauricio Díaz | U.C. Santísima Concepción |
| Taj Dyson | McGill |
| Eloy de Lera Acedo | Cambridge |
| Matt Dobbs | McGill |
| Aaron Ewall-Wice | U. Berkeley |
| Anastasia Fialkov | Cambridge |
| Samuel Gagnon-Hartman | McGill |
| Vera Gluscevic | U. Southern California |
| Oscar Hernández | McGill |
| José Miguel Jáuregui | CITA |
| Zarif Kader | McGill |
| Alexander Kaurov | IAS |
| Girish Kulkarni | Tata Institute of Fundamental Research |
| Adam Lidz | U. Pennsylvania |
| Adrian Liu | McGill |
| Colin Lonsdale | Haystack |
| Nivedita Mahesh | ASU |
| Tristan Menard | McGill |
| Ben McKinley | Curtin U. |
| Jordan Mirocha | McGill |
| Raul Monsalve | McGill |
| Julian Muñoz | Harvard |
| Steven Murray | ASU |
| Olga Navros | Carnegie Mellon |
| Bang Nhan | NRAO Charlottesville |
| Deniz Ölçek | McGill |
| Matheus Pessôa | McGill |
| Jeff Peterson | Carnegie Mellon |
| David Rapetti | U. Colorado Boulder |
| Nima Razavi-Ghods | Cambridge |
| Alan Rogers | Haystack |
| Seth Siegel | McGill |
| Jonathan Sievers | McGill |
| Peter Sims | Brown U. |
| Saurabh Singh | McGill |
| Marta Spinelli | INAF Trieste |
| Mayuri S. Rao | Raman Research Institute |
| Ravi Subrahmanyan | Raman Research Institute |
| Keith Tauscher | U. Colorado Boulder |
| Fernando Zago | McGill |
Logistics
1) Workshop Information
- The workshop will be held in the Bell Room of the Rutherford Physics Building (3600 Rue University), McGill University. From the main entrance of the building, turn right through the first doorway and the Bell Room is the first door on your right. If you find yourself in a lounge with coffee machines and sofas, you have gone too far!
- We will provide lunch each day, coffee breaks in the morning and mid-afternoon, and a group dinner on Tuesday Oct 8th. The Tuesday dinner will be at Brutopia, 1219 Crescent St, Montreal, Quebec H3G 2B1.
- Two WIFI networks are available for attendees: eduroam and guest.mcgill.ca. To log in you will need your own institutional (for eduroam) or social network (Facebook, Google, etc.) (for guest.mcgill.ca) accounts.
- We will use a single computer for the talks. Please upload your talks before your Session to this DROPBOX FOLDER.
- We made available this GOOGLE DOCUMENT for you to write questions and comments during the talks, which you would like to have asked by the Session Chairs and addressed at some point (if there is time). These are in addition to the questions asked by yourselves after the talks.
- During breaks, you are free to use the 'Staff Lounge', right next to the Bell Room used for the Workshop. Also, there are small meeting spaces on the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th floors of the building, right next to the elevators.
- On Tuesday Oct 8th you are welcome to attend the Astro Seminar "Deciphering the Engines of Fast Radio Bursts", by Brian Metzger (Columbia University).
- On Wednesday Oct 9th you are welcome to attend the Public AstroPhysics Night Talk "Cosmic Dawn: The Search for the First Stars", by Jeff Peterson (Carnegie Mellon).
2) Language
French is the official language in Quebec but Montreal is very much a bilingual city, with English being widely spoken. You are likely to be greeted with "Bonjour hi" or "Salut hi" and your response will dictate the language you prefer to communicate in.
3) Airport
The Montreal Trudeau International Airport is located ~20 km from McGill.
4) Local Transportation
- McGill is located in downtown Montreal. The taxi ride from the airport to downtown/McGill will cost CAD$41 + tip. Rideshare services such as Uber are generally ~CAD$30 with some variations depending on time of day and demand.
- Public transport options are also available from/to the airport and include bus and metro. Click here for fares. The 747 bus (CAD$10 ticket can be purchased at the airport) will take you from the airport to downtown, specifically the Rene-Levesque/Union stop ~15 minute walk from McGill. Alternatively, you can get off the 747 bus at Station de Metro Lionel-Groulx, transfer to the metro #1 (green line) train and take it to the McGill stop, which is slightly closer to campus.
- 1-trip bus tickets can be purchased with cash aboard the bus with the exact change. Bus and metro tickets can be purchased at every metro station using cash, credit, or debit card.
5) Hotels
Here are a few suggested hotels close to the McGill Physics Department:- Trylon Apartments (~CAD$120/night, ~10 min walk)
- Hotel Ambrose (~CAD$150/night, ~20 min walk)
- Chateau Versailles (~CAD$160/night, ~30 min walk)
- Travelodge Montreal Centre (~CAD$170/night, ~25 min walk)
- Best Western Ville-Marie (~CAD$200/night, ~20 min walk)
- Hotel Le Cantlie Suites (~CAD$200/night, ~20 min walk)
Airbnb is another possibility, with good options in the ~$100/night range. If you venture outside of downtown to The Plateau, Mile End, or Gay Village neighborhoods (just north/northwest of downtown), McGill is a longer walk (~30-40 min) but still easily accessible by bus or Metro.
6) Montreal Weather in October
A typical day in October has low temperatures around 5°C and highs around 15°C (40°F-60°F). Rain is common but snow is unlikely.
7) Restaurants and Sightseeing
You are free for breakfast each day, as well as dinner on Monday and Wednesday.
Click HERE for an interactive map of Restaurants and Sightseeing around McGill and in MontrealWe also list these spots below.
Coffee Shops:
- Dispatch, 3480 Rue University, Montreal, QC H3A 0E9
- Humble Lion, 904 Rue Sherbrooke Ouest, Montreal, QC H3A 3R8
- Pikolo Espresso Bar, 3418b Av du Parc, Montreal, QC H2X 2H5
- Coffeebrands, 1115 Rue Sherbrooke O, Montreal, QC H3A 1H3
- Cafe Nocturne, 19 Rue Prince Arthur O, Montreal, QC H2X 1S4
- Cafe Castel, 1015 Sherbrooke St W, Montreal, QC H3A 1G5
- Bristol Chai, 30 Rue Prince Arthur O, Montreal, QC H2X 1S3
Lunch (quick):
- Dunn's Famous, 1249 Metcalfe St, Montreal, QC H3B 2V5
- Universel Dejeuners et Grillades, 2055 Peel St, Montreal, QC H3A 1T5
- Pannizza, 914 Sherbrooke St West, Montreal, QC H3A 1G3
- Opiano, 1115 Sherbooke Ouest B1, Montreal, QC H3A 1H3
- McCord Museum, 690 Rue Sherbrooke Ouest, Montreal, QC H3A 1E9
- Vua Sandiwches, Tour Intact, 2020 Boulevard Robert-Bourassa, Montreal, QC H3A 2A5
- Vihn's Cafe, 740 Avenue du Docteur-Penfield, Montreal, QC H3A 1A5
- Paramount Fine Foods, 3630 University St, Montreal, QC H3A 2B2
- Kantapia (Korean food), 364 Rue Sherbrooke Ouest, Montreal, QC H3A 1B5
Lunch/Dinner:
- MKT, 2044 Metcalfe St, Montreal, QC H3A 1X8
- Le Taj, 2077 Stanley St, Montreal, QC H3A 1R7
- Moleskine, 3412 Avenue du Parc, Montreal, QC H2X 2H5
- La Capital Tacos, 1096 Boul St-Laurent, Montreal, QC H2Z 1J5
- Tiradito, 1076 Rue de Bleury, Montreal, QC H2Z 1N2
- Lola Rosa (vegetarian), 545 Rue Milton, Montreal, QC H2X 1W5
- Garage Beirut, 1238 Rue Mackay, Montreal, QC H3G 2H4
- Reuben's, 1116 Rue Sainte-Catherine O, Montreal, QC H3B 1H4
- TABOO, 2025 Rue Drummond, Montreal, QC H3G 1W6
- Many options on Crescent St., between Sherbrooke St. and Rene-Levesque Blvd.
Bars/Pubs/Cocktails:
- Benelux, 245 Rue Sherbrooke Ouest, Montreal, QC H2X 1X8
- Pullman Wine Bar, 3424 Av du Parc, Montreal, QC H2X 2H5
- Dieu du Ciel!, 29 Laurier Avenue, Montreal, QC H2T 2N2
- Bar Pamplemousse, 1579 Boul St-Laurent, Montreal, QC H2X 2S9
- Reservoir, 9 Avenue Duluth E, Montreal, QC H2W 1G7
- Else's, 156 Rue Roy E, Montreal, QC H2W 1M2
- Le Darling, 4328 Boul St-Laurent, Montreal, QC H2W 1Z3
Famous Montreal Establishments:
- Schwartz's Deli - Sandwiches - Steaks, 3895 St Laurent Blvd, Montreal, QC H2W 1X9
- Poutine La Banquise, 263 Rue Saint Viateur O, Montreal, QC H2V 1Y1
- St Viateur Bagels, 263 Rue Saint Viateur O, Montreal, QC H2V 1Y1
- Fairmount Bagels, 74 Avenue Fairmount O, Montreal, QC H2T 2M2
Sightseeing:
- Mount Royal Park and Hill
- Notre-Dame Basilica of Montreal
- Old Port
- Montreal Museum of Fine Arts
- Pointe-a-Calliere - Museum of Archaeology and History
- Saint Joseph's Oratory
- Space for Life
- Marche Jean-Talon
Mount-Royal (Mont-Royal) is a large hill located in the middle of Montreal. The city is named after this 761 foot hill, which also houses the famous Mount-Royal Park (Parc du Mont-Royal), one of Montreal's largest green spaces. From the top of Mount-Royal, you will get some impressive views of downtown Montreal and the surrounding area.
The church features two soaring towers and stands as a dramatic example of the Gothic Revival style. Its grand interior is filled with hundreds of intricate wooden carvings and religious statues, as well as a Casavant Freres pipe organ that dates back to 1891.
Old Montreal is a part of downtown Montreal that has been preserved in much of its original state, with the oldest buildings dating back to the 1600's. Visitors can appreciate Old Montreal by merely wandering the streets and stumbling upon its delightful nooks and crannies. The Old Montreal website has a well laid out and thorough self-guided walking tour of Old Montreal, complete with photos and maps.
Founded in 1860, it has grown into one of the most visited museums in North America; it hosts around 43,000 works from antiquity to today, much of it on display throughout five pavilions. The enormous institution also hosts seasonal blockbuster exhibitions.
Pointe-a-Calliere is the largest archaeology museum in Canada, and is built atop the historic Old Montreal sites. It hosts an impressive collection of excavated remains of the original settlement. Pointe-a-Calliere also presents three to four temporary exhibitions every year.
It is Canada's largest church and claims to have one of the largest domes in the world. The shrine includes a majestic building, the small original chapel, a votive chapel, a crypt, gardens of the way of the cross, and a basilica that can accommodate close to 2,000 people.
The Montreal Space for Life, home to the Biodome, Insectarium, Rio Tinto Alcan Planetarium, and Botanical Garden, is the largest natural science museum complex in Canada. Don't miss the "Gardens of Light" lantern festival held annually at the Botanical Garden.
It is one of the largest open-air markets in North America. The market, which consists of small shopkeepers, bustles with activity year-round; you'll find local fruit and vegetable growers, butchers, bakers, fishmongers, grocers, and restaurateurs.
Agenda
Please click here to view and download the workshop agenda.
Talks
OCTOBER 7th
| SESSION 1 9:00am-10:40am | |
|---|---|
| Vera Gluscevic | Dark matter throughout cosmic history |
| Adam Lidz | The 21 cm signal and fuzzy dark matter |
| Jordan Mirocha | The global 21-cm signal in the context of high-z galaxy surveys |
| Girish Kulkarni | Hints of a concordant reionization model from the Lyman-alpha forest |
| SESSION 2 11:00am-12:20pm | |
| Saurabh Singh | SARAS: evolution of system design and related challenges |
| Ravi Subrahmanyan | SARAS 3 |
| SESSION 3 1:40pm-3:20pm | |
| Judd Bowman | EDGES overview |
| Nivedita Mahesh | EDGES beam modelling and data comparison |
| Raul Monsalve | EDGES Mid-Band analysis |
| Alan Rogers | Update on EDGES-3 |
| SESSION 4 3:40pm-5:20pm | |
| Steven Murray | Making EDGES bayesian |
| Peter Sims | The impact of calibration errors on 21 cm global experiments: a bayesian case study with EDGES |
| Keith Tauscher | Moving away from analytical a priori foreground models in signal extraction |
| David Rapetti | Rigorously extracting and constraining global 21-cm signal model parameters |
| Abhirup Datta | Global 21cm signal estimation using neural networks |
OCTOBER 8th
| SESSION 5 9:00am-10:20am | |
|---|---|
| Julian Muñoz | Dark matter and the 21-cm global signal |
| Aaron Ewall-Wice | Can we explain the EDGES Feature with Black Holes? |
| Alexander Kaurov | Implication of the shape of the EDGES signal for the 21 cm power spectrum |
| SESSION 6 11:00am-12:20pm | |
| H. Cynthia Chiang | Observing the < 100 MHz radio sky from the sub-Antarctic and Arctic |
| José Miguel Jáuregui | HIBiscus and Mango-Peel antennas |
| Jonathan Sievers | Beam chromaticity with gaussian random fields |
| SESSION 7 1:40pm-3:20pm | |
| O. Navros | High-Z |
| Jeff Peterson | Test of long dipole on the soil at Karoo |
| Gianni Bernardi | LEDA status update |
OCTOBER 9th
Photos
