Detection of B-mode Polarization at Degree Angular Scales using BICEP2

Note: Time: 3:30 PM...... Refreshments served
Speaker: Dr. Colin Bischoff, Harvard - Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics

When: April 17, 2014 (Thu), 03:30PM to 04:30PM (add to my calendar)
Location: PRB 595
Hosted by: Tulika Bose

This event is part of the HEE Seminar Series.

Abstract: BICEP2 is a Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) polarimeter designed to search for the signal of gravitational waves from inflation in B-mode polarization at large angular scales. BICEP2 observed from the South Pole for three seasons from 2010--2012 and recently published results showing an excess of B-modes in the range 30 < ell < 150 with >5 sigma significance. We find that this excess can not be explained by instrumental systematics or foreground models; it is confirmed in cross-correlation with BICEP1 (at 100 and 150 GHz) and preliminary data from the Keck Array. The observed BB spectrum is well fit by a lensed-LCDM cosmological model with the addition of primordial tensor fluctuations with tensor-to-scalar ratio r=0.20^{+0.07}_{-0.05}. I will discuss the BICEP2 experiment, observations, and data analysis, as well as current and planned efforts to follow up this detection.