RUI: The Non-Linear Universe: Precision Numerical Cosmology and Fundamental Physics

该奖项资助小约翰·T·吉卜林副教授的研究活动。在凯尼恩学院，宇宙是一个复杂且不断演变的系统。这个系统中隐藏着极端条件下的物理学线索，如温度和能量，超出了地面实验的能力。我们目前对宇宙的理解包括许多谜团：暗物质、暗能量和描述非常早期的宇宙的物理学。因此，仔细研究这个系统是我们扩展对物质和能量本质的理解的最有希望的途径之一。吉布林教授和他的学生将学习基础物理学中的几个基本问题。如果在宇宙的早期曾有过一段快速膨胀的时期，我们如何描述它，它是如何结束的？应该如何描述暗物质呢？是否有任何迹象表明宇宙中存在比我们目前所知更多的粒子？吉布林教授将开发新的尖端计算工具，以极高的精度研究宇宙的演化。六名本科生也将参与这项工作。因此，这项工作符合国家利益，因为它建立了具有科学素养和数字技能的人力资源，并加深了我们对基础科学的理解。此外，这项研究项目还包括扩展到高中课堂，从而为高中生带来新的工具和新的科学课题。具体地说，Giblin教授将研究现实的暴涨模型和暴涨结束时非线性过程的观测特征，以便通过观测宇宙微波背景来测试和排除暴涨情景。他还将研究引力波背景和星系间磁场测量的意义。吉布林教授还将研究薛定谔对非相对论暗物质的描述，作为对超轻轴子类粒子的可能描述。此外，他还将探讨早期暗能量的引入-超越标准模型物理的额外自由度--是否可以缓解所谓的“哈勃-勒梅特”紧张。这一奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This award funds the research activities of Associate Professor John T. Giblin, Jr. at Kenyon College.The Universe is a complex and constantly evolving system. Buried in this system are clues about physics at extreme conditions such as temperatures and energies beyond the capacity of terrestrial experiments. Our current understanding of the Universe includes a number of mysteries: dark matter, dark energy, and the physics that describes the very early Universe. Carefully studying this system is therefore one of the most promising avenues we have for extending our understanding of the nature of matter and energy. Professor Giblin and his students will study several foundational questions in fundamental physics. If there was a period of rapid expansion in the very early Universe, how do we describe it and how did it end? How should dark matter be described? Are there any hints that there are more particles in the Universe than we currently know? Professor Giblin will develop new, cutting-edge, computational tools that will permit the study of the evolution of the Universe with extreme accuracy. Six undergraduates will also participate in this work. This work is therefore in the national interest as it builds scientifically literate and numerically skillful human resources and deepens our understanding of basic science. Additionally, this research project includes outreach to high-school classrooms, thereby bringing new tools and new scientific topics to high-school students.Specifically, Professor Giblin will study realistic models of inflation and the observational signatures of nonlinear processes at the end of inflation in order to test and rule out inflationary scenarios through observations of the cosmic microwave background. He will also study the implications of measurements of gravitational-wave backgrounds and intergalactic magnetic fields. Professor Giblin will also study the Schrodinger description of non-relativistic dark matter as a possible description of ultra-light axion-like particles. Additionally, he will probe whether the introduction of Early Dark Energy --- extra degrees of freedom from beyond-the-standard-model physics --- can ease the so-called "Hubble-Lemaitre" tension.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.