In this project the PI will study the history of galaxy structure formation through measurements and modeling of the small-scale matter power spectrum from the Lyman-alpha forest and through quantifying the uncertainties in statistical measures of galaxy halo occupation distributions. Further the PI will apply these methods to current and upcoming data. The projects will integrate research and education through training and developing graduate students through supervised research on the proposed projects. The project will outreach to high school students locally near the University of Maryland through contact and integration with science fair project work, which is under way. A primary new effort proposed is the development of an interactive question and answer program for high school teachers at the University of Maryland Center for Fundamental Physics through a web-based wiki interface. The aspects of this proposal of cosmological large-scale structure (on small scales) through the Lyman-alpha forest and galaxy clustering statistics will be taken up by two separate students or by a single student. In addition, these projects will foster the further scientific development of a postdoctoral research scholar supported by this award.
