Signatures of Cosmic Inflation: High-Resolution Studies of the Cosmic Microwave Background

Jason W. Henning先生被授予美国国家科学基金会天文学和天体物理学博士后奖学金，在芝加哥大学开展研究和教育项目。这位研究员将研究宇宙微波背景（CMB）的极化中暴胀的特征，CMB是大爆炸的余辉。宇宙暴胀是宇宙早期快速膨胀的理论阶段。它在CMB的偏振中产生被其他偏振源污染的特征。为了准确地测量这些特征并更多地了解暴胀，必须很好地描述并从观测中删除这些其他极化源。Henning先生将开发表征污染物的技术，并将为设计和测试工作做出贡献，以构建专门用于测量高分辨率和保真度的CMB偏振的新相机。此外，为了证明研究是一项令人兴奋和吸引人的事业，Henning先生将为几个外展场所设计新的内容，提供一个内部人士对科学研究的看法。通过互动展示、现场演讲和实时社交媒体，他将向人们展示研究是如何进行的。原始b模预计会在宇宙膨胀期间产生的引力波中留下印记。然而，这种原始信号受到透镜b模的污染，难以通过低分辨率实验测量和去除。亨宁将把注意力集中在两个高分辨率的宇宙微波背景辐射偏振实验上，这些实验旨在探测原始b模，以抑制暴胀。他将领导即将到来的SPT-3G实验的探测器表征和设计工作。他还将扩展和开发在大角度尺度上分析SPT-POL和SPT-3G实验数据集的技术，其中将包括偏振前景去除和去透镜的方法，这是一种通过高分辨率实验实现的独特能力。对于外展教育，亨宁先生将通过产生新的内容来扩展几个成功的项目，目的是为研究提供一个窗口。他将为阿德勒天文馆有关微波探测技术和南极望远镜的新展览做出贡献，并在现场天文学对话中带领观众了解它们。他还将把SPT的数据整合到世界望远镜中，并创建一个数据分析导览。最后，Henning先生将为几家社交媒体组织和生成内容，将当前研究的日常活动实时传递给公众。

Mr. Jason W. Henning is awarded an NSF Astronomy and Astrophysics Postdoctoral Fellowship to carry out a program of research and education at the University of Chicago. The fellow will investigate signatures of inflation in the polarization of the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB), the afterglow light from the big bang. Cosmic inflation is a theorized period of rapid expansion in the earliest moments of the universe. It generates features in the polarization of the CMB that are contaminated by other polarization sources. To accurately measure these features and learn more about inflation, these other sources of polarization must be well-characterized and removed from the observations. Mr. Henning will develop techniques for characterizing contaminants, and will also contribute to design and testing efforts to construct a new camera designed specifically to measure CMB polarization with high resolution and fidelity. Furthermore, to demonstrate that research is an exciting and engaging enterprise, Mr. Henning will design new content for several outreach venues providing an insider's look into scientific research. Through interactive displays, live talks, and real-time social media, he will provide access to how research takes place while it's happening.Primordial B-modes are expected to be imprinted in the CMB by gravitational waves generated during inflation. This primordial signal, however, is contaminated by lensing B-modes difficult to measure and remove by low-resolution experiments. Mr. Henning will focus attention on two high-resolution CMB polarization experiments probing primordial B-modes in order to constrain inflation. He will lead a campaign of detector characterization and design efforts for the upcoming SPT-3G experiment. He will also extend and develop techniques to analyze datasets from the SPT-POL and SPT-3G experiments at large angular scales, which will include methods for polarized foreground removal and de-lensing in particular, a unique ability made possible by high-resolution experiments. For outreach education, Mr. Henning will expand several successful programs by generating new content with the goal of providing a window into research. He will contribute to new Adler Planetarium exhibits about microwave detection technologies and the South Pole Telescope and lead audiences through them during live Astronomy Conversations. He will also integrate SPT data into the WorldWide Telescope and create a guided tour of data analysis. Finally, Mr. Henning will organize and generate content for several social media outlets to relay the everyday activities of current research to the public in real-time.