Boosting the Universe: Observational consequences of our motion – Amanda Yoho

Date: Tue. September 11th, 2012, 11:30 am-12:30 pm
Location: Rockefeller 221

The Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB), photons from the earliest epoch that are able to free stream towards us, provides a unique opportunity to learn about many properties of the universe we live in. Already, the temperature fluctuations of the CMB have been studied by the Wilkinson Anisotropy Probe (WMAP) and have allowed many cosmological parameters to be pinned down to within a percent error. However, there are many more mysteries to be uncovered by precise measurements of the CMB polarization of these photons and weak lensing fields. Only with a robust understanding of the possible contaminants and astrophysical effects that can deform the measured fields will we be able to accurately characterize which models are favored over others. I will present here the challenges that will arise when analyzing data from future cosmological surveys due to our motion through the universe, and describe methods for accurately accounting for this particular systematic effect. Download the slides