CAREER: Observational Signatures of Fundamental Physics in the Cosmos

可以说，暗能量和暴胀目前都更像是一种范式，而不是理论，因为它们各自的令人信服的潜在机制仍有待发现。相比之下，天体物理观测的精度、角度覆盖范围和深度正在以令人印象深刻的速度增长。至关重要的是，许多多色成像和光谱大规模结构调查正在进行观测，或正在积极发展。Rachel Bean博士（康奈尔大学）将建立所需的理论工具和观测要求，以确保在未来五年内，正在进行或正在开发的大规模结构宇宙学调查将被最佳地应用于破译和约束暗能量和暴胀可能留下的全部特征。这项工作还将详细描述严格描述的膜暴胀理论和其他引力理论的观测含义，这些理论承诺具有独特的性质，但迄今为止还没有得到必要的详细研究。结合起来，这些方法将使我们更好地了解宇宙学中这两个重大而突出的问题的物理起源。在该奖项下开展的研究项目积极涉及本科生和研究生的培训。其中一个重点是增加康奈尔大学物理学和天文学学生之间的互动，让每个人都有机会发展对基础理论的理解和研究经验，以及如何使用实验数据来判断理论的优点。宾博士还将与康奈尔大学天文教育和公共宣传协调员合作，开发一项关于天文学和宇宙学的中学“课外宇宙”项目。宾博士和EPO协调员的共同目标是专门为纽约州北部地区代表性不足的社区增加物理科学的机会和参与。此外，宾博士将继续在康奈尔纳米科学中心物理教师研究所为纽约州立学校的教师讲授基础物理学和“宇宙作为终极实验室”的主题。憨豆博士还将为康奈尔成人大学的“Cyber-Tower”做第二次在线讲座。与讲座相关的材料，以及在线讲座本身，将在网上提供给教育工作者和公众。

Arguably, both dark energy and inflation can currently be viewed more as paradigms than theories, since a compelling, underlying mechanism for each is still to be found. By contrast, the precision, angular coverage and depth of astrophysical observations are increasing at an impressive rate. Crucially, a number of multi-color imaging and spectroscopic large scale structure surveys are taking observations, or are being actively developed. Dr. Rachel Bean (Cornell University) will establish the required theoretical tools and observational requirements to ensure that the large scale structure cosmological surveys in progress, or being developed, in the coming five years will be optimally applied to decipher and constrain the full array of signatures that dark energy and inflation can leave. The work will also detail the observational implications of tightly delineated theories of brane inflation and alternative theories of gravity that promise distinctive properties, but which have not, as yet, been studied in the necessary detail. In combination, these approaches will yield an improved insight into the physical origins of these two, major, outstanding questions in cosmology.The research program to be carried out under this award actively involves training of undergraduate and graduate students. One emphasis is on increasing interaction between the Cornell Physics and Astronomy students, giving each opportunities to develop both an understanding of, and research experience in, the underlying theories and how experimental data are used to judge a theory's merit. Dr. Bean will also develop a middle-school "Afterschool Universe" program in astronomy and cosmology, in collaboration with the Cornell Department of Astronomy education and public outreach (EPO) coordinator. The joint goal of Dr. Bean and the EPO coordinator is specifically to increase opportunities and involvement in physical sciences for under-represented communities in the upstate New York region. In addition, Dr. Bean will continue giving lectures on topics in fundamental physics and the "cosmos as the ultimate laboratory" for New York State school teachers with the Cornell Center for Nanoscale Science Institute for Physics Teachers. Dr. Bean will also make a second online lecture for the Cornell Adult University "Cyber-Tower". The materials associated with the lectures, and the online lectures themselves, will be available online to educators and the public.