Probing the Universe

我的研究小组利用平流层气球环境的好处，开发和飞行气球载望远镜，这些望远镜在各种波长下工作，以实现一系列高优先级的科学目标。大气衰减和噪声大大降低了亚毫米波长光的地面观测，即使是从最高的山脉，湍流大气的折射限制了地面可见光观测的分辨率。从平流层气球上在35公里至40公里高度飞行的天文望远镜避免了这些负面影响，为空间飞行任务提供了一种经济的替代方案。在接下来的时间里，我的小组将致力于蜘蛛，BLAST和BIT。蜘蛛是一个毫米波偏振计，它将测量宇宙微波背景的偏振，其目标是探测宇宙最初几分之一秒内发射的引力波。对这些波的探测将为早期宇宙的演化提供关键的见解。蜘蛛计划在2013年和2015年飞行。宇航员携带的大孔径亚毫米望远镜（BLAST）将通过测量亚毫米光的偏振来绘制磁场，目的是了解磁场对星星形成的影响。BLAST将于2012年和2016年飞行。机载成像测试台（BIT）是一个可见光望远镜，将展示可见光和近紫外光中的衍射限制成像，作为开发用于引力透镜的宽视场成像望远镜的第一步，以及其他应用。BIT的第一次飞行是在2014年。除了这些仪器的开发和飞行，我的学生小组将参与模拟，以支持科学，并分析产生的数据。

My research group exploits the benefits of the stratospheric balloon environment by developing and flying balloon-borne telescopes which operate at a variety of wavelengths to achieve a range of high-priority science goals. Atmospheric attenuation and noise in the substantially degrades ground based observations of sub-mm wavelength light, even from the tallest mountains, and refraction by the turbulent atmosphere limits the resolution of visible light observations from the ground. Astronomical telescopes flying from stratospheric balloons at 35km to 40km altitudes avoid these negative effects, providing an economical alternative to space-borne missions. In the next period my group will work on Spider, BLAST, and BIT.Spider is a mm-wave polarimeter which will measure the polarization of the Cosmic Microwave Background, with the goal of detecting gravitational waves emitted during the first fraction of a second of the Universe. Detection of these waves will provide critical insight into the evolution of the early Universe. Spider is scheduled to fly in 2013 and 2015.The Balloon-borne Large Aperture Sub-mm Telescope (BLAST) will map out magnetic fields through measurements of polarization of sub-mm light, with the goal of understanding the impact of magnetic fields in star formation. BLAST will fly in 2012, and 2016.The Balloon-borne Imaging Test-bed (BIT) is a visible light telescope which will demonstrate diffraction-limited imaging in visible and near UV light as the first step towards developing a wide field imaging telescope for gravitaional lensing, among other applications. The first flight of BIT is in 2014.In addition to the development and flight of these instruments, students my group will be involved in simulations in support of the science, and the analysis of resulting data.