Matt McQuinn (UC Berkeley)

The case for the reionization of the second electron of helium ending at z = 3

Recent measurements of the IGM thermal state as well as recent observations of the HeII Lyman-alpha forest suggest that helium reionization was ending at z~3.  I will discuss the physics of the helium reionization process and describe the growing evidence for a z~3 ending. Lastly, I will discuss how helium reionization could impact cosmological parameter measurements from the Lyman-alpha forest and galaxy surveys.