The Universe in a New Light: the First Cosmological Results from the Planck Mission – Bill Jones

Date: Tue. April 30th, 2013, 2:30 pm-3:30 pm
Location: Rockefeller 221

The precision and accuracy of the recently released Planck data are without precedent; the data from a single experiment provide all-sky images at wavelengths never before explored, covering more than three decades in angular scale with a signal dynamic range exceeding a factor of a million. These data open new avenues of research in fields ranging from Galactic astrophysics to cosmology. Our present Universe has shown herself to be both simple and elegant, and although her origins remain enshrouded in mystery, it appears that her past may have been more complex. While the Planck data have begun to inform us about the nature of cosmo-genesis, a new series of experiments are required to distinguish between competing theories of the origin of the Universe. We will discuss the cosmological implications of the Planck data, and describe our current efforts to probe cosmic genesis with experiments like the Spider Antarctic long duration balloon experiment.