Testing fundamental physics with new observations

用新的观察结果测试基础物理

• 批准号: RGPIN-2015-06066
• 负责人: Pogosian, Levon
• 金额: $ 2.62万
• 依托单位: Simon Fraser University
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Discovery Grants Program - Individual
• 财政年份: 2016
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2016-01-01 至 2017-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=613922
• 关键词: Testing; fundamental; physics; new; observations

Research carried out over recent decades has established the main building blocks of the current cosmological model: Dark Matter and Dark Energy, as the two components that dominate the present density, and Inflation, as the leading mechanism for the initial conditions. These building blocks are largely phenomenological concepts — providing an economical description of the universe, while still lacking a proper theoretical understanding. With the new types and the higher precision of observations expected over the next decade, the focus is shifting to developing and testing specific theoretical proposals, as well as using Cosmology as a laboratory for testing fundamental physics. The proposed research will advance two main directions. One will focus on the problem of Cosmic Acceleration and testable aspects of gravity on cosmological scales. The second will study events that took place in the early universe and novel ways of looking for them in the cosmic microwave background (CMB).    My group will identify all the theoretically consistent ways in which new gravitational physics can appear and, based on that, derive a set of phenomenological models that can be readily tested against data. We will develop numerical tools appropriate for tests with upcoming weak lensing, imaging, spectroscopic and 21 cm surveys, such as Euclid, LSST and SKA. At this time, my group is working closely with members of the SDSS-IV and Euclid teams, who are using statistical and numerical tools developed by us. At the same time, CMB science is experiencing a period of renewed growth.  Experiments are reaching the sensitivity levels required for studying the B-mode polarization, which is of fundamental importance for testing Inflation. My group will study cosmic strings and primordial magnetic fields (PMF) which also generate B-modes. PMF carry imprints of high energy universe and can help explain magnetic fields observed in galaxies and clusters. Another type of future CMB experiments will measure CMB spectral distortions with a qualitatively better accuracy, opening a new observational window into the early universe. My group is in a prime position to take advantage of these new CMB frontiers for testing fundamental physics.    The work outlined in this proposal is of importance to observational teams in planning their experiments and will allow my group to take advantage of the new data as it becomes available. Our research is in areas of active international interest and will solidify Canada’s role as a leading contributor to fundamental research. This proposal also provides tremendous opportunities for training students and postdocs. This includes highly transferrable skills, such as computer programming, state of the art statistical analysis, analytical problem solving, writing and communication skill, all of which will benefit Canadian economy, and society in general, independent of the career path my HQP pursue later.

近几十年来进行的研究已经建立了当前宇宙学模型的主要组成部分：暗物质和暗能量，作为主导当前密度的两个组成部分，以及暴胀，作为初始条件的主要机制。这些基本概念是现象学的概念，提供了对宇宙的经济描述，但仍然缺乏适当的理论理解。随着未来十年新的观测类型和更高的观测精度，重点正在转移到开发和测试特定的理论建议，以及使用宇宙学作为测试基础物理的实验室。拟议的研究将推进两个主要方向。其中一个将集中在宇宙加速问题和宇宙学尺度上引力的可检验方面。第二个项目将研究早期宇宙中发生的事件，以及在宇宙微波背景（CMB）中寻找它们的新方法。 我的团队将确定所有理论上一致的方式，新的引力物理学可以出现，并在此基础上，推导出一套现象学模型，可以很容易地对数据进行测试。我们将开发适用于即将到来的弱透镜，成像，光谱和21厘米调查，如欧几里得，LSST和SKA测试的数值工具。目前，我的团队正在与SDSS-IV和欧几里得团队的成员密切合作，他们正在使用我们开发的统计和数值工具。与此同时，CMB科学正在经历一个新的增长时期，实验正在达到研究B模式偏振所需的灵敏度水平，这对测试暴胀至关重要。我的小组将研究宇宙弦和原始磁场（PMF），它们也会产生B模式。PMF带有高能宇宙的印记，可以帮助解释星系和星系团中观察到的磁场。另一种未来的CMB实验将以更高的精度测量CMB光谱扭曲，为早期宇宙打开一个新的观测窗口。我的小组处于利用这些新的CMB前沿来测试基础物理的最佳位置。 本提案中概述的工作对观测团队规划实验非常重要，并将使我的团队能够利用可用的新数据。我们的研究是在积极的国际利益的领域，并将巩固加拿大作为基础研究的主要贡献者的作用。这一提议也为培养学生和博士后提供了巨大的机会。这包括高度可转移的技能，如计算机编程，最先进的统计分析，分析问题解决，写作和沟通技巧，所有这些都将有利于加拿大经济和社会，独立于我的HQP追求的职业道路。