Title:

Starbursts at z=6:  Probing the End of the Dark Ages



Elizabeth Stanway
University of Wisconsin-Madison





Abstract:

In recent years sensitive new instruments, both on HST and 
on large ground-based telescopes, have pushed back the 
observational horizon.  There has been a surge of interest 
in the detection and properties of galaxies at z>5.6, and 
while only 7 galaxies were known at this redshift at the 
end of 2002, there are now more than fifty spectroscopically 
confirmed examples.  For the first time, an informed discussion 
of the properties of starburst galaxies at these redshifts has 
become possible.  I will discuss recent progress in exploring 
the z~6 universe and the current status of this field, with 
particular reference to my own work in the area.