Experimental Challenges in Probing Dark Energy with the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope

粒子物理学和宇宙学的标准模型是不完整的。粒子内容不包含宇宙中暗物质的可行候选者，也没有对暗能量性质的良好动机的解释。粒子物理学和宇宙学领域密不可分地交织在一起。基于加速器的实验、深地下矿井中的探测器以及太空和地面上的望远镜都是必要的，并用于探索暗物质的性质等基本问题。引力透镜是一种宇宙学探测器，它的优势是对宇宙中的所有物质都很敏感：重子物质和暗物质。暗物质结构的增长是研究暗能量物理的灵敏探测器。有了这一奖项，斯坦福大学团队将通过拟议的大型天文观测望远镜(LSST)和LSST暗能量科学合作，在观测宇宙学的高优先级工作中发挥领导作用。LSST是第一个从头开始设计的地面望远镜，旨在解决充分利用弱引力透镜作为宇宙学探测器所需的对系统不确定性的严格要求。LSST还将通过研究大尺度结构的增长、重子声振荡和Ia型超新星来解决宇宙学问题。该小组将研究通过几个观测探测器实现对暗能量的最大灵敏度的实验挑战，重点是引力透镜。这项工作将基于分析和计算技术，以及对LSST系统的详细模拟。它们将有助于开发高保真模拟，并在适当情况下，使用现有的成像数据来开发和测试对将影响LSST的系统效应的理解。使用LSST模拟和天文数据的工作为学生和博士后提供了获得统计、数据分析和处理私营和公共部门高需求的大型数据集的技能的机会。PI在教育和咨询方面做出了强有力的有针对性的努力，旨在增加和多样化攻读物理和工程学位的学生群体，并拓宽物理学家的职业道路。

The standard models of particle physics and cosmology are incomplete. The particle content does not contain a viable candidate for the dark matter in the Universe and there is no well-motivated explanation of the nature of dark energy. The fields of particle physics and cosmology are inextricably intertwined. Accelerator-based experiments, detectors in deep underground mines, and telescopes in space and on the ground are all needed and used to explore fundamental questions such as the nature of dark matter. Gravitational lensing is a cosmological probe that has the advantage of being sensitive to all matter in the Universe: baryonic and dark matter. The growth of dark matter structure is a sensitive probe of the physics of dark energy. With this award, the Stanford group will play a leadership role in a high-priority effort in observational cosmology through the proposed Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST) and the LSST Dark Energy Science Collaboration. The LSST is the first ground-based telescope being designed from scratch to address the severe demands on systematic uncertainties needed to fully exploit weak gravitational lensing as a cosmological probe. The LSST will also address cosmological questions through studies of the growth of large scale structure, baryon acoustic oscillations and Type Ia supernovae. The group will study the experimental challenges to achieving the maximum sensitivity to dark energy through several observational probes, with a focus on gravitational lensing. This effort will be based on analytical and computational techniques, and on detailed simulations of the LSST system. They will contribute to the development of high fidelity simulations and, where appropriate, use existing imaging data to develop and test the understanding of systematic effects that will impact LSST. The work with LSST simulations and astronomical data provides opportunities for students and postdocs to gain skills in statistics, data analysis, and handling large data sets that are in high demand in the private and public sectors. The PI brings her strong targeted efforts in education and advising, aimed at increasing and diversifying the cohort of students who pursue degrees in physics and engineering, and broadening career paths for physicists.