Mapping New Physics with the Cosmic Microwave Background – Jeff McMahon
Date: Mon. February 23rd, 2015, 11:30 am-12:30 pmLocation: Rockefeller 221
The Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) is the afterglow of the big bang and the oldest light in the universe that can be observed. Faint signals in the pattern of the CMB provide information about the physics that govern the very early universe and the growth of large scale structure. Thus, precision measurements of the CMB provide unique views on ultra high energy physics (inflation); pressing mysteries including dark energy and dark matter; and traditional particle physics questions such as the sum of the neutrino masses. In this talk I present the state of the CMB field and highlight the Atacama Cosmology Telescope Polarimeter (ACTPol) and it successor Advanced ACTPol (AdvACT). This includes a description of these instruments, early science from ACTPol, and forecasts for what ACTPol and AdvACT will achieve. In the last few minutes I will describe other complementary projects my group is involved with.