Lessons from the primordial gravitational waves

• Jinn-Ouk Gong (A)

Room: E6-2동 물리학과 2502호 The recent detection of the B-mode polarization by the BICEP2 collaboration has profound implications regarding the primordial gravitational waves. After quickly reviewing basic elements, I discuss the current status of the inflationary theories in the light of BICEP2, and comment on future probes for further studies.

What did BICEP2 find? Inflaton or Axion

• Seok-Cheon Lee (KIAS)

Room: E6-2동 물리학과 2502호 Recent BICEP2 results implicate the existence of the B-mode polarization on CMB. The B-mode polarization can be produced from not only gravitational wave generated at the inflation epoch but also birefringence. We investigate the CMB B-mode power spectrum both inflaton only and with birefrigence. We found that the current BICEP2 result prefer the additional birefrigence generated B-mode compared to one with just the inflaton field. In order to prove the existence of birefrigence, we need further E-B mode mixing signals from future surveys.