The Physics Frontier Center of the Kavli Institute for Cosmological Physics

卡维里宇宙物理研究所物理前沿中心

• 批准号: 0551142
• 负责人: Stephan Meyer
• 金额: $ 1497万
• 依托单位: University of Chicago
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Cooperative Agreement
• 财政年份: 2006
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2006-08-01 至 2012-07-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0551142&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Physics; Frontier; Center; Kavli; Institute

The Physics Frontier Center of the Kavli Institute for Cosmological Physics (PFC-KICP) brings together an accomplished team of physicists and astronomers, both theorists and experimentalists, within a unique interdisciplinary environment to address three of the most compelling questions in all of science today: (1) What is the nature of the Dark Energy and Dark Matter that dominate the Universe and have shaped its evolution? (2) Was there an inflationary epoch in the first moments of the Universe, and if so, what is the underlying physics that caused it? (3) What clues do nature?s highest energy particles offer about the unification of forces and particles? The answers to these questions have the potential to transform in a fundamental way our view of the origin and evolution of the Universe and the laws that govern it.These three questions were the focus of the Physics Frontier Center for its first four years of existence and remain at the heart of its program. Discoveries and theoretical advances over the last four years, many produced by the PFC-KICP, have sharpened these questions and pointed to new avenues for addressing them. The Center will foster several new research initiatives aimed at seizing these opportunities while continuing a number of efforts begun in the first term of the Center that are now coming to fruition. The new initiatives will make strides toward the detection of inflationary gravity waves in the polarization of the cosmic microwave background (CMB), probe the nature of the Dark Energy with a large optical survey, develop a promising, new method for detecting Dark Matter, and provide new pooled resources for the analysis of large experimental and theoretical data sets. The integrated, cross-cutting program of research, education, and outreach aimed at fundamental questions in cosmological physics at the PFC-KICP is designed to capture the imagination of the public from K to 99 through its variety of activities with broader impact: (1) Training and educating scientists to work in teams, cross boundaries in their research, and integrate research and education, particularly through the Fellows program. (2) Disseminating important scientific results whose implications cut across the disciplines of astronomy and physics. (3) Using this exciting area of science to broaden the participation of underrepresented groups in science and engineering, with programs such as Space Explorers, WAP, UPRIDE, and RET. (4) Creating broadly shared infrastructure; e.g., the Sunyaev-Zel?dovich Array (SZA) will become part of the CARMA facility and the Dark Energy Camera will be a user instrument at CTIO; both will be broadly used by the astronomy community. (5) Sharing the excitement of this science and educating the public about the nature of science through a vigorous and diverse outreach program that includes cosmology short courses, museum partnerships, and public talks. (6) Engaging the broader cosmological physics community through a targeted program of workshops, visitors, and symposia.

Kavli宇宙物理研究所（PFC-KICP）的物理前沿中心汇集了一个由物理学家和天文学家组成的团队，包括理论家和实验学家，在一个独特的跨学科环境中解决当今所有科学中最引人注目的三个问题：（1）支配宇宙并塑造其演化的暗能量和暗物质的性质是什么？(2)在宇宙诞生的最初时刻，是否存在一个暴胀时期？如果是的话，导致它的基本物理学是什么？(3)大自然有什么线索？最高能量的粒子提供了关于力和粒子的统一？这些问题的答案有可能从根本上改变我们对宇宙起源和演化以及支配宇宙的定律的看法。这三个问题是物理前沿中心成立后前四年的重点，并仍然是其计划的核心。过去四年的发现和理论进展，其中许多是由PFC-KICP产生的，使这些问题更加尖锐，并指出了解决这些问题的新途径。该中心将促进几个新的研究举措，旨在抓住这些机会，同时继续在该中心的第一个任期开始，现在正在取得成果的一些努力。这些新举措将朝着探测宇宙微波背景（CMB）极化中的暴胀引力波迈出步伐，通过大型光学调查探索暗能量的性质，开发一种有前途的新方法来探测暗物质，并为大型实验和理论数据集的分析提供新的汇集资源。综合，跨领域的研究，教育和推广计划，旨在在PFC-KICP宇宙物理学的基本问题，旨在捕捉公众的想象力从K到99通过其各种活动具有更广泛的影响：（1）培训和教育科学家团队工作，在他们的研究中跨越边界，并整合研究和教育，特别是通过研究员计划。(2)传播重要的科学成果，其影响跨越天文学和物理学学科。(3)利用这一令人兴奋的科学领域，扩大在科学和工程中代表性不足的群体的参与，如太空探索者，WAP，UPRIDE和RET。(4)建立广泛共享的基础设施;例如，苏尼亚耶夫-泽尔号多维奇阵列（SZA）将成为CARMA设施的一部分，暗能量相机将成为CTIO的用户仪器;两者都将被天文学界广泛使用。(5)通过一个充满活力和多样化的外展计划，包括宇宙学短期课程，博物馆合作伙伴关系和公开讲座，分享这门科学的兴奋和教育公众科学的本质。(6)通过有针对性的研讨会，参观者和研讨会计划，吸引更广泛的宇宙物理学社区。