Hernquist This project is a coordinated effort to study the relationship between the diffuse intergalactic medium (IGM) and stars and galaxies. Numerical simulations will address the formation of the first stars, of pre-galactic objects, and of galaxies, emphasizing the various forms of feedback connecting those beasties to the IGM (radiative effects, chemical enrichment, and kinetic and thermal injection of energy). The principal answers to be expected from this research include the extent to which feedback affects things, when and how the Universe changed gears between the different eras (was chemical enrichment a primary factor?), what were the galactic building blocks - how did they differ from the first stars, do they have observable consequences - and when and how the IGM acquired its metals. Varying the resolution and using two different numerical methods will help to validate the results and ensure convergence, since this is the first attempt to include the relevant physical effects in a proper cosmological context.
All developed computer programs, including the different ways of coding the various physical processes, will be released for community use. In particular, this includes the 'flagship' adaptive mesh refinement code known as Enzo. ***
