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Department of Astrophysics

Cosmology

Cosmology is the study of the origin and the evolution of our own Universe. Since the dawn of mankind, the questions in cosmology have kept the brightest mind wonder: "How did the Universe come to be?" "What is it like?" "How does it evolve and what is the ultimate fate?"
 
With Einstein's general relativity and technological advances in modern days, we have a better understanding of our own Universe, and some of these age-old mysteries are replaced with more physical questions:
•    What is the mechanism generating perturbations  in the inflationary period?
•    What is the physical nature of dark matter and dark energy?
•    What is the origin of the matter and anti-matter asymmetry?
•    How does gravity act across cosmological distances?
•    How did galaxies evolve across the cosmic time?

Our groups at ICS engage in various aspects of these questions in cosmology with analytical, numerical, and observational methods. General relativity and particle physics provide the most powerful tools to develop theoretical models for our Universe in addressing those questions. Furthermore, we utilize large numerical simulations and numerical calculations to supplement the theoretical models and understand the complexity present in our Universe. Ultimately, our theoretical and numerical models are tested  against the observational data from the cosmic microwave background (CMB) and the large-scale galaxy surveys. Our group members are heavily involved in the stage IV experiments in Europe and in the USA:  The Euclid satellite mission  of ESA and the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI)  of DOE. In the coming years, our groups at ICS will be able to deliver more concrete answers to the fundamental questions in cosmology from these surveys, in conjunction with our theoretical and numerical models.

 

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