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)偏振中的膨胀信号，CMB是大爆炸产生的余辉光。宇宙膨胀是理论上的宇宙最早时刻的快速膨胀期。它在CMB的偏振中产生被其他偏振源污染的特征。为了准确测量这些特征并了解更多关于通货膨胀的情况，必须很好地描述这些极化的其他来源，并从观测中删除这些来源。亨宁将开发表征污染物的技术，并将参与设计和测试工作，以构建一种专门为测量CMB偏振而设计的高分辨率和高保真度的新相机。此外，为了证明研究是一项令人兴奋和引人入胜的事业，亨宁将为几个外展场所设计新的内容，让业内人士了解科学研究。通过互动展示、现场演讲和实时社交媒体，他将提供访问途径，了解研究是如何在发生的同时进行的。最初的B模式预计将通过通货膨胀期间产生的引力波在CMB上留下印记。然而，这种原始信号受到透镜B模的污染，很难测量和通过低分辨率实验去除。亨宁将把注意力集中在两个高分辨率的CMB偏振实验上，这些实验探测原始的B模，以抑制通货膨胀。他将为即将到来的SPT-3G实验领导一场探测器特性和设计工作的运动。他还将扩展和开发技术，以分析来自大角度尺度的SPT-POL和SPT-3G实验的数据集，其中将包括偏振前景去除和去透镜的方法，这是高分辨率实验实现的一种独特能力。在外展教育方面，亨宁将通过创造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。他将为新的阿德勒天文馆关于微波探测技术和南极望远镜的展览做出贡献，并在现场天文学对话中带领观众参观。他还将把SPT数据整合到世界望远镜中，并创建一个数据分析的导游。最后，亨宁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达给公众。

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.