The CMB Overview

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Oxford Astrophysics The CMB Overview The Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) is the oldest radiation that we can see, having been emitted around 400,000 years after the Big Bang. It is the last scattering surface of photons from electrons, just as the universe cooled to a point where atoms could form. Before this time, the universe was opaque to radiation. The CMB is the “fossil record” of the universe, and holds within it the structure of the universe at the time it was emitted. The polarisation of the CMB is the current “holy grail” of CMB science, with several experiments being designed to detect it to a high precision. Next Generation Radio Instrumentation Overview The Square Kilometre Array (SKA) is a next generation radio telescope with a total collecting area 100 times that of existing radio arrays. It is an international collaboration between 11 countries with possible locations being South Africa, Argentina, Australia and China. Its design, on which a decision will be made in 2009, will make a revolutionary break with current radio telescopes. CMB Instrumentation at Oxford Oxford Astrophysics is directly involved in two CMB instruments: the Cosmic Background Imager (CBI) and Clover. CBI is a CalTech-led project that has been running since 2000 and has obtained the most precise measurements to date of the CMB temperature and polarisation. Clover is a UK- led project between Cardiff, Oxford and Cambridge and is scheduled for completion in 2008. It will measure the CMB polarisation more accurately than has been done before. Tests of Gravity Surveys with the SKA will discover tens of thousands of pulsars with a very high chance of finding one orbiting a black hole. This will provide the first test of general relativity in the most extreme conditions. The science reach of the SKA will be extraordinary, allowing new discoveries in astroparticle physics, cosmology, fundamental physics, galactic and extragalactic astronomy, and solar system science. Exploration of the Unknown If history is any guide, the two orders of magnitude increase in sensitivity provided by the SKA will lead to the discovery of new phenomena in the cosmos. The SKA The Cradle of Life The SKA has enormous potential for finding evidence of other earth-like planets and intelligent life elsewhere in the Universe. It will be able to study transitions in amino acids and other complex carbon bio-molecules as well as detect radiation from extraterrestrial intelligences around a million solar type stars. Probing the Dark Ages Wavelengths at which SKA will be operating are optimal for studying formation of the first luminous objects in the Universe. Detection of the first stars and galaxies will provide unique information on how the first galaxies and black holes formed and how they influenced their environment. Galaxy Evolution and Cosmology The SKA will be sensitive enough to be able to detect EVERY galaxy in the Universe! The data obtained in the surveys of neutral hydrogen will enable us to compute the Universe’s Equation of State, and map out the strength of Dark Energy through the history of the Universe. Images Courtesy of WMAP/NASA, SKA, CBI and Clover Teams

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Next Generation Radio Instrumentation. The SKA. The CMB Overview - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Transcript of The CMB Overview

Page 1: The CMB Overview

Oxford Astrophysics

The CMBOverview

The Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) is the oldest radiation that we can see, having been emitted around 400,000 years after the Big Bang. It is the last scattering surface of photons from electrons, just as the universe cooled to a point where atoms could form. Before this time, the universe was opaque to radiation. The CMB is the “fossil record” of the universe, and holds within it the structure of the universe at the time it was emitted. The polarisation of the CMB is the current “holy grail” of CMB science, with several experiments being designed to detect it to a high precision.

Next Generation Radio Instrumentation

Overview

The Square Kilometre Array (SKA) is a next generation radio telescope with a total collecting area 100 times that of existing radio arrays. It is an international collaboration between 11 countries with possible locations being South Africa, Argentina, Australia and China. Its design, on which a decision will be made in 2009, will make a revolutionary break with current radio telescopes.

CMB Instrumentation at Oxford

Oxford Astrophysics is directly involved in two CMB instruments: the Cosmic Background Imager (CBI) and Clover. CBI is a CalTech-led project that has been running since 2000 and has obtained the most precise measurements to date of the CMB temperature and polarisation. Clover is a UK-led project between Cardiff, Oxford and Cambridge and is scheduled for completion in 2008. It will measure the CMB polarisation more accurately than has been done before.

Tests of Gravity

Surveys with the SKA will discover tens of thousands of pulsars with a very high chance of finding one orbiting a black hole. This will provide the first test of general relativity in the most extreme conditions.

The science reach of the SKA will be extraordinary, allowing new discoveries in astroparticle physics, cosmology, fundamental physics, galactic and extragalactic astronomy, and solar system science.

Exploration of the Unknown

If history is any guide, the two orders of magnitude increase in sensitivity provided by the SKA will lead to the discovery of new phenomena in the cosmos.

The SKA

The Cradle of Life

The SKA has enormous potential for finding evidence of other earth-like planets and intelligent life elsewhere in the Universe. It will be able to study transitions in amino acids and other complex carbon bio-molecules as well as detect radiation from extraterrestrial intelligences around a million solar type stars.

Probing the Dark Ages

Wavelengths at which SKA will be operating are optimal for studying formation of the first luminous objects in the Universe. Detection of the first stars and galaxies will provide unique information on how the first galaxies and black holes formed and how they influenced their environment.

Galaxy Evolution and Cosmology

The SKA will be sensitive enough to be able to detect EVERY galaxy in the Universe! The data obtained in the surveys of neutral hydrogen will enable us to compute the Universe’s Equation of State, and map out the strength of Dark Energy through the history of the Universe.

Images Courtesy of WMAP/NASA, SKA, CBI and Clover Teams