Matthew Johnson (Perimeter Institute)

Date: Tue. April 18th, 2017, 11:00 am-12:00 pm
Location: Miller room

Mapping Ultra Large Scale Structure

Anomalies in the CMB on large angular scales could find an explanation in terms of pre-inflationary physics or intrinsic statistical anisotropies. However, due to cosmic variance it is difficult to conclusively test many of these ideas using the primary cosmic microwave background (CMB) alone. In this talk, I will outline a program to place stringent observational constraints on theories that predict ultra-large scale structure or statistical anisotropies using the secondary CMB (the Sunyaev Zel’dovich effect, polarization form the post-reionization era, lensing, etc.) and tracers of large-scale structure. These methods will become accessible with next-generation CMB experiments and planned galaxy surveys. The prospect of better observations makes it important to deliver precise predictions on the theory side. I will describe efforts to connect pre-inflationary physics to observation using numerical relativity.