The Structure of the Universe Beyond 100 Mpc

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AST-0407308SzalayThis research will address several major questions related to the large-scale distribution of galaxies, in particular by measuring the fluctuation spectrum of the galaxy distribution on very large scales, which overlap with measurements of the Cosmic Microwave Background fluctuations. A promising technique introduced a few years ago has been turned into a practical tool, which provides optimal weighting of the data for each individual mode of the power spectrum, and has so far successfully provided very tight constraints on cosmological parameters. The current project may even detect the existence of baryon bumps, which enable measurement of the angular diameter distance relation, and constrain the equation of state of the dark energy. This study will enhance the effectiveness of the SkyServer, a web site constantly in use by high schools and the general public, and will further promote collaboration with the Hands-On Universe project, where students can do follow-up observations, or look up properties of something interesting seen in an observation.