Cosmology Seminar
Tue, January 30, 2018
1:10 pm (Cosmology/ BCCP)
Alex Drlica-Wagner, FNAL
Campbell 131
Small Galaxies, Big Science: The Booming Industry of Milky Way Satellite Galaxies
The satellite galaxies of the Milky Way are some of the most ancient, most chemically pristine, and most dark-matter-dominated galaxies known. These extreme objects provide a unique opportunity to test the standard cosmological model in the near-field limit. In addition, the relative proximity and large dark matter content of dwarf galaxies make them excellent systems for probing the fundamental properties of dark matter. Over the past several years, the unprecedented sensitivity of large CCD cameras have allowed us to double the known population of Milky Way satellites. These discoveries help address the "missing satellites problem” and can be used to test the particle nature of dark matter. I will summarize recent results, outstanding questions, and exciting prospect in near-field cosmology.
Cosmology Seminar
Tue, January 23, 2018
Note two talks, two locations:
1:10 pm (Cosmology/ BCCP)
Chihway Chang, Chicago
Campbell 131
Mapping the Cosmos with the Dark Energy Survey
The first year data from the Dark Energy Survey (DES Y1) provides the most powerful optical survey dataset to date. In this talk I will first give an overall summary of the cosmology results from the DES Y1 dataset combining galaxy clustering and weak gravitational lensing. Next, I will describe our work in generating and testing the wide-field weak lensing mass maps from the galaxy shape measurements and some exciting applications for the maps. I will end with thoughts on how weak lensing could also inform us on various topics of galaxy formation, which is essential for completing the story behind the Universe we see today.
4:00 pm (RPM)
Chihway Chang, Chicago
LBL 50-5132
Cosmic Surveys in the Next Decade: Mapping the Landscape of the Universe
Cosmology in the next decade will be driven by data. Exploiting the information one can extract from the ongoing and upcoming large surveys will give us the power to stress-test the LCDM model with unprecedented precision and open up windows for new physics. In this talk I will present some of our work in the Dark Energy Survey Collaboration and the Large Synoptics Survey Telescope Dark Energy Science Collaboration, to analyse state-of-the-art galaxy survey data as well as getting ready for the next generation of data. I will focus on topics surrounding weak lensing analyses, including cosmology from 2-point functions, generating weak lensing mass maps, and measuring the mass profiles at the outskirts of galaxy clusters.
