CAREER: Cosmology with the Cosmology Large Angular Scale Surveyor (CLASS)

Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore MD

Investigators

Abstract

The primary goal of this CAREER project is to understand how the universe began. The leading theory of the beginning, called Inflation theory, predicts the creation of gravitational waves spanning the observable universe. These waves would have left a unique signature in the polarization of light from the early universe. Discovery and characterization of this signature would open a new window to the early universe and also connect quantum mechanics with gravity, an objective at the frontier of physics. To accomplish these goals, this project will realize the most transformative and broadest reaching cosmological analysis of a unique polarization measurement with the Cosmology Large Angular Scale Surveyor (CLASS). By sponsoring the cosmological research of the PhD students who built and operated CLASS, the project trains the next generation of trailblazing scientists. It also builds a bridge for inclusive research and coursework at the undergraduate level. Public talks, school visits, and online media further engage the broader community in the exciting science of the early universe. This CAREER project will achieve the most transformative and broadest reaching cosmology from a unique microwave polarization measurement with the Cosmology Large Angular Scale Surveyor (CLASS). The primary goal is to detect and accurately characterize the imprint of Inflationary gravitational waves in the B-mode polarization of the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB). Another goal is to make a cosmic-variance limited measurement of the CMB E-mode polarization on the largest angular scales to pin down reionization. The CLASS survey is unique: It is the only large scale measurement with broad frequency coverage that probes the full range of angular scales on which inflation and reionization leave their strongest signatures. This study will characterize the primordial B-modes using both reionization and recombination signals across 70% of the sky from 40 to 220 GHz, eliminating systematic errors and testing predictions for the angular spectrum shape and isotropy of the inflationary signal. Because the public survey data will overlap other large-scale surveys from the radio to the X-ray, the scientific legacy of the survey will greatly extend its intellectual merits. An important impact will be the fostering of the next generation of scientists. The project supports cosmological capstone research for graduate students who have built and operated the telescopes. It also builds a bridge for inclusive research and coursework at the undergraduate level. Public talks, school visits, and online media further engage the broader community in the exciting science of the early universe.