Abstract

The reionization of the intergalactic medium (IGM) at z > 6 is one of the major transformations in the universe’s history, but we do not yet fully understand how it occurred. The most likely explanation is that Lyman continuum (LyC) radiation escaped into the IGM from early star-forming galaxies. However, most lower-redshift star-forming galaxies show little to no sign of LyC escape, and IGM absorption prevents us from directly measuring LyC during the epoch of reionization itself. To address this issue, we have undertaken the Low-Redshift Lyman Continuum Survey, the largest survey of LyC emission at low redshift to date. With HST UV observations of 66 galaxies, we have tripled the number of low-redshift LyC detections, enabling us to systematically test proposed indirect diagnostics of LyC and establish the physical properties of LyC-emitting galaxies. I will share the initial results from the survey and their implications for our understanding of cosmic reionization.