Astrophysics

Inflationary cosmology is notoriously past geodesically incomplete in many situations. However, it is generally unknown whether the geodesic incompleteness implies the existence of an initial spacetime curvature singularity or whether the spacetime may be extended beyond its null past boundary. In homogeneous and isotropic cosmology with flat spatial sections, we classify which past inflationary histories have a scalar curvature singularity and which might be extendible/non-singular. We derive rigorous extendibility criteria of various regularity classes for quasi-de Sitter spacetimes that evolve from infinite proper time in the past. Beyond homogeneity and isotropy, we show that continuous extensions respecting the Einstein field equations with a perfect fluid must have the equation of state of a de Sitter universe asymptotically. An interpretation of our results is that past-eternal inflationary scenarios are most likely physically singular, except in very special situations.

Zoom link:  https://pitp.zoom.us/j/98334550627?pwd=UnR3eUxZRFZpeEZoOGEwNkJuc0M0UT09

Zoom link: https://pitp.zoom.us/j/96212372067?pwd=dWVaUFFFc3c5NTlVTDFHOGhCV2pXdz09

Zoom link: https://pitp.zoom.us/j/96212372067?pwd=dWVaUFFFc3c5NTlVTDFHOGhCV2pXdz09

One of the exciting new frontiers in cosmology and structure formation is the Epoch of Reionization (EoR), a period when the radiation from the early stars and galaxies ionized almost all gas in the Universe. This epoch forms an important evolutionary link between the smooth matter distribution at early times and the highly complex structures seen today. Fortunately, a whole slew of instruments that have been specifically designed to study the high-redshift Universe (JWST, ALMA, Roman Space Telescope, HERA, SKA, CCAT-p, SPHEREx), have started providing valuable insights, which will usher  the study of EoR into a new, high-precision era. It is, therefore, imperative that theoretical/numerical models achieve sufficient accuracy and physical fidelity to meaningfully interpret this new data. In this talk, I will introduce the THESAN simulation framework that is designed to efficiently leverage current and upcoming high redshift observations to constrain the physics of reionization. The multi-scale nature of the process is tackled by coupling large volume (~100s Mpc) simulations designed to study the large-scale statistical properties of the intergalactic medium (IGM) that is undergoing reionization, with high-resolution (~ 10 pc) simulations that zoom-in on single galaxies which are ideal for predicting the resolved properties of the sources responsible for it. I will discuss applications from the first set of papers, including predictions for high redshift galaxy properties, the galaxy-IGM connection, Ly-α transmission and back reaction of reionization on galaxy formation. I will finish by highlighting recent improvements to the model and proposed future work.

Zoom link:  https://pitp.zoom.us/j/94595023029?pwd=b0c0MVZHZ01rQnprS1ZCSzVIZktqUT09

https://pitp.zoom.us/j/96212372067?pwd=dWVaUFFFc3c5NTlVTDFHOGhCV2pXdz09

Abstract: TBD

Zoom Link: https://pitp.zoom.us/j/91979071868?pwd=Z0VWSFhJTEJFWkZRbzBtcWdtV0Ezdz09

Optimal extraction of the non-Gaussian information encoded in the Large-Scale Structure (LSS) of the universe lies at the forefront of modern precision cosmology. In this talk, I will discuss recent efforts to achieve this task using the Wavelet Scattering Transform (WST), which subjects an input field to a layer of non-linear transformations that are sensitive to non-Gaussianity in spatial density distributions through a generated set of WST coefficients. In order to assess its applicability in the context of LSS surveys, I will present the first WST application to actual galaxy observations, through a WST re-analysis of the BOSS DR12 CMASS dataset. After laying out the procedure on how to capture all necessary layers of realism for an application on data obtained from a spectroscopic survey, I will show results for the marginalized posterior probability distributions of 5 cosmological parameters obtained from a WST likelihood analysis of the CMASS data. The WST is found to deliver a substantial improvement in the values of the predicted 1σ errors compared to the regular galaxy power spectrum, both in the case of flat and uninformative priors and also when a Big Bang Nucleosynthesis prior is applied to the value of ω_b. Finally, I will discuss ongoing follow-up work towards applying this estimator to the next generation of spectroscopic observations to be obtained by the DESI and Euclid surveys.

Zoom link:  https://pitp.zoom.us/j/96291506998?pwd=TVVFYnNIQ1F0cktna000cUp3SU1kQT09

The dark universe may host physics as rich and complex as the visible sector, but the only guaranteed window to the dark sector(s) is through gravity. If the dark matter has a dissipative self-interaction, dark gas can cool and collapse to form compact object whose mergers may be accessible to LIGO. The mass spectrum of the merging compact objects encodes fundamental physical information--a purely gravitational probe of dark matter microphysics.
In this talk, I will present our work to forward-model the gas collapse process in the "atomic dark matter" model, beginning with a retelling of the standard cosmological history including this new ingredient and culminating in a description of the fragmentation scale of the dark gas.

Zoom link:  https://pitp.zoom.us/j/99141938599?pwd=T0I1d1A5R0JBNWFlSHlCREl5dElTUT09

Scientific programs involving joint analyses of different tracers of large-scale structure and CMB are increasingly gaining attention as they often increase the prospects to detect and characterise new signals by reducing systematics, cancelling cosmic variance and breaking degeneracies. In this talk, I will demonstrate how these programs will provide the most precise tests of fundamental physics by measuring galaxy peculiar velocity throughout cosmic time, opening new and unique windows into unexplored epochs of structure formation such as the epoch helium reionization, making pioneering first detections of multiple CMB signals and reducing the confusion effects from scattering and lensing on the CMB, while not requiring new experiments other than those being built or proposed.

Zoom link:  https://pitp.zoom.us/j/98508740176?pwd=a3BUc1lpZi82c0R0SkJyd1FPRFRUZz09