Fundamental Physics from Current and Future CMB Lensing Science

by Blake Sherwin (DAMTP, University of Cambridge)

Wednesday 29 May 2019, 11:30 → 13:30 Europe/Zurich

4/2-011 - TH common room (CERN)

The dark matter distribution in the universe contains a wealth of information about neutrinos, dark energy, and physics at the earliest, inflationary times. Measurements of gravitational lensing in the cosmic microwave background (CMB) allow this matter distribution to be directly seen and mapped out to high redshifts. In my talk, I will first describe current and future lensing measurements and cosmological constraints from the ACT, Simons Observatory and CMB-S4 CMB experiments. I will then discuss the development of a new, improved method for small-scale lensing reconstruction. Lensing is not only a signal, however, but also a source of noise that limits how much we can learn about inflation. With illustrations from recent work, I will explain how de-lensing - removing the lensing effect to reveal the primordial polarization sky - will be crucial for the future of CMB cosmology.