Cosmology, Theoretical and Computational Astrophysics

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A research program in computational astrophysics will be carried out by Prof. William Press and his group. Topics to be investigated will include the following: (1) Continued development of a new class of fast statistical methods (discovered by Rybicki and Press) that reduce some formerly intractable problems in signal and data processing to computationally fast problems. (2) Application of these methods to the study of galaxies at moderate to high redshifts, where new cosmological information can be discerned. (3) Several tests on the reality of large scale cosmological flows, including the use of Type Ia supernovae. (4) A systematic investigation of new and unified methods for measuring the galaxy correlation function (or power spectrum) on the very largest scales accessible to observation. (5) The possible role of cataclysmic variable stars as an indicator of the early history of evolution of our Galaxy. (6) Measurement of mass-to-light ratios on large cosmological scales. (7) A study of parallel computational algorithms and "idioms" with application to scientific computing generally. (8) Possibly, the development of large scale computer codes in the areas of hydrodynamics in wavelet basis, and/or classical three- dimensional field theory calculations. Prof. Press and his group work on a variety of topics in cosmology, theoretical astrophysics, and computational physics and astrophysics. Behind this diversity of topics, lies the central focus of interest: Given the hot big bang, did the structure in the Universe today form gravitationally? And, if so, how, when, and with what implications regarding the Universe's initial conditions? The group has a major interest not only in developing new, testable, theoretical ideas that bear on this question, but also in developing new analytical, statistical, and computational techniques that are capable of extending the power and relevance of existing and future observational data sets. Towards this end, P ress and his co-members have a continuing interest in fast computational methods, parallel computing, and the development of new algorithms. Often these have application not only to gravitational physics and astrophysics, but also to science and engineering more broadly.