RUI: Cosmic Microwave Background Analysis in the Post-WMAP Era

本项目解决了与分析和解释宇宙微波背景观测有关的几个及时问题。宇宙学已经成为一个数据丰富的领域，特别是现在和即将推出的CMB天空地图，这些地图形成了几十万年前宇宙的快照。这些年来，这样的地图有了巨大的改进，现在很大程度上是我们对宇宙内容和历史的详细理解。CMB偏振图甚至可以为宇宙最早时刻的暴涨时期提供直接证据。这项研究将开发分析CMB偏振图的方法，特别是成分分离，以及描述常见污染物(如银河系尘埃)及其统计特性的方法。理论工作还将包括从对遥远星系团中CMB四极的观测中获得多少额外的宇宙学信息。这项工作将与有才华的本科生合作进行，其中许多本科生来自代表不足的群体，他们将被介绍给天体物理学研究的兴奋。

AST-0507395BunnThis project addresses several timely questions relating to the analysis and interpretation of observations of the cosmic microwave background (CMB). Cosmology has become a data-rich field, especially with current and forthcoming CMB sky maps, which form a snapshot of the Universe at an age of a few hundred thousand years. Such maps have improved dramatically over the years and are now largely responsible for our detailed understanding of the contents and history of the Universe. CMB polarization maps may even be able to provide direct evidence for an inflationary epoch during the Universe's earliest moments. This research will develop methods for analyzing CMB polarization maps, especially the separation of components, and for characterizing common contaminants (such as Galactic dust) and their statistical properties. Theoretical work will also include how much extra cosmological information can be obtained from observations of the CMB quadrupole in remote galaxy clusters.This work will be carried out in collaboration with talented undergraduates, many from under-represented groups, who will be introduced to the excitement of research in astrophysics.