Imprints of New Physics on Cosmological Observations

该奖项资助布朗大学Savvas M.Koushiappas教授的研究活动。宇宙中的大部分物质都以一种神秘的“暗物质”的形式存在，这种物质与我们日常生活中熟悉的物质不同。在过去的几年里，宇宙学观察和实验室的限制表明，这种暗物质的性质仍然难以捉摸。同样，我们对宇宙本身的基本特征的理解也面临着许多挑战。作为研究的一部分，Koushiappas教授将尝试了解暗物质和暗能量的本质，探索暗物质和常规物质之间可能存在的新的相互作用，并尝试研究暗物质性质的宇宙学和引力效应。因此，这一领域的研究通过促进科学最基本问题之一的进步来促进国家利益：发现和理解物理定律。预计该项目还将产生更广泛的重大影响。Koushiappas教授将邀请研究生和高级本科生参与这项研究，从而为开始这一领域研究的初级物理学家提供关键培训。他还将就自己的研究成果发表公开演讲。从技术上讲，Koushiappas教授将建立一个研究项目，将暗物质物理的理论研究与当前和未来的宇宙学观测结合起来。在宇宙学、天体物理学和粒子物理学之间架起一座桥梁，Koushiappas教授将利用对宇宙微波背景、结构和高能光子以及其他高能粒子的观察，来解决关于暗物质的性质、宇宙加速膨胀速度差异的根源、宇宙学的天体物理效应，以及最重要的是这些不同研究路线之间的相互作用和联系的基本问题。这些目标将通过复杂的理论建模和使用新的和现有的统计和分析工具来实现。该奖项反映了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 Professor Savvas M. Koushiappas at Brown University. Most of the matter in the universe takes the form of a mysterious "dark matter" which is unlike the familiar matter we deal with in our everyday lives. In the last few years, cosmological observations and laboratory constraints have shown that the nature of this dark matter remains elusive. Likewise, there have been many challenges to our understanding of the basic characteristics of the universe itself. As part of his research, Professor Koushiappas will attempt to understand the nature of dark matter and dark energy, explore new possible interactions between dark matter and regular matter, and attempt to study the cosmological and gravitational effects of dark-matter properties. As a result, research in this area advances the national interest by promoting the progress of science in one of its most fundamental questions: the discovery and understanding of physical laws. This project is also envisioned to have significant broader impacts. Professor Koushiappas will involve graduate students and advanced undergraduate students in this research, thereby providing critical training for junior physicists beginning research in this field. He will also give public lectures on his research results. More technically, Professor Koushiappas will establish a research program to unite theoretical studies of the physics of dark matter with current and future cosmological observations. Bridging the gap between cosmology, astrophysics, and particle physics, Professor Koushiappas will use observations of the cosmic microwave background, the growth of structure and high-energy photons and other energetic particles to tackle fundamental questions about the nature of dark matter, the origin of the discrepancy in the accelerated expansion rate of the universe, the astrophysical effects of cosmology, and most importantly the interplay and connections between these different lines of inquiry. These goals will be achieved through sophisticated theoretical modeling and through the use of new and existing statistical and analysis tools.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.