Probing the Equation of State of the Dark Energy with Supernovae.

探索暗能量与超新星的状态方程。

• 批准号: 0507475
• 负责人: Christopher Stubbs
• 金额: --
• 依托单位: Harvard University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2005
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2005-10-01 至 2010-09-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0507475&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Probing; Equation; State; Dark; Energy

AST-0507475StubbsOne of today's most pressing open questions in physics concerns the nature of the dark energy driving the accelerating expansion of the Universe. Although there is currently little doubt that dark energy represents some new and fundamental physics, there is still a need to distinguish between various possibilities for its nature: is it gravitational, residing in Einstein's cosmological constant, or exotic matter, coming from quantum mechanical processes in the vacuum? This project continues an ambitious survey, currently about half complete, to use some 200 Type Ia supernovae between redshifts of 0.2 and 0.8 to map out the expansion history of the Universe. It should be able to constrain a critical dark energy parameter with a fractional uncertainty of only 10%.Many undergraduate and graduate students have been involved in this cutting-edge research project, and the enhanced capabilities it required at an NSF-supported telescope have benefited all users of that facility. Since the nature of the dark energy is a mystery that has captivated the imagination of the general public, project members will continue to be very engaged in both formal and informal educational activities on this topic.

AST-0507475Stubbs 当今物理学中最紧迫的开放问题之一涉及驱动宇宙加速膨胀的暗能量的本质。 尽管目前毫无疑问暗能量代表了一些新的基础物理学，但仍然需要区分其性质的各种可能性：它是存在于爱因斯坦宇宙学常数中的引力，还是来自真空中量子力学过程的奇异物质？ 该项目继续进行一项雄心勃勃的调查，目前已完成一半，将使用大约 200 颗红移在 0.2 到 0.8 之间的 Ia 型超新星来绘制宇宙的膨胀历史。 它应该能够限制一个关键的暗能量参数，其分数不确定性仅为 10%。许多本科生和研究生都参与了这个尖端研究项目，并且 NSF 支持的望远镜所需的增强功能使该设施的所有用户受益。 由于暗能量的本质是一个吸引公众想象力的谜团，项目成员将继续积极参与有关该主题的正式和非正式教育活动。