About the CLAMATO Project

CLAMATO LMAP survey’s goal is to map the z ∼ 2.3 cosmic web with Lyα forest tomography using Keck-I/LRIS to collect data. This technique expands upon the HI Lyα forest analysis of IGM absorption that is traditionally carried out along relatively rare quasar lines-of-sight by targeting ubiquitous star-forming Lyman-Break galaxies (LBGs) and faint quasars at z ∼ 2 − 3 as background sources. One can then tomographically interpolate across the adjacent lines-of-sight to yield 3D maps of the IGM HI absorption, which is a non-linear tracer of the cosmic web in dark matter.

Due to the long (∼ 400 h−1 Mpc) path length in the Lyα forest probed by each background source, this technique allows the mapping of large volumes at z > 2. This project will allow the first characterization of galaxy environments at the given redshifts as well as studying extended voids and protoclusters. 

Area covered in the survey: 

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The survey aims to make the first characterization of sheets and filaments of the high-redshift cosmic web. Additionally, it hopes to provide a measure of the local environmental density at the positions of individual galaxies with a  2.2 < z < 2.5 redshift.