Exploring New Boundaries in Cosmology and Astrophysics: Cosmic Microwave Background and Large Scale Structure Surveys
Coordinators: Stefano Borgani, Tzu-Ching Chang, Matthew Johnson, and Elena Pierpaoli
Over the past several decades, astronomical observations across the electromagnetic spectrum have provided a strong empirical foundation for the standard cosmological model. At the same time, possible tensions between different probes provide hints for where it may break. Surveys ranging from radio, microwave, and optical to X-ray are in progress or soon will be, promising to deepen our understanding. These surveys aim at answering cosmological questions regarding inflation, the nature of dark matter, dark energy and gravity, the value of the neutrino masses and the number of light relics. They also promise to shed light on galaxy evolution and the state of baryonic matter in and among galaxies and clusters of galaxies. While different surveys leverage different observables and methods, their success often relies on information that is provided from other surveys. The primary goal of this program is to bring together scientists with expertise across such diverse surveys; together we aim to develop innovative ways to combine these data sets to enhance our understanding of astrophysics and cosmology. We anticipate that participants will develop and test these new approaches at the program as data from a variety of surveys becomes available.