Unravelling the universe: effects of cosmological parameters on astronomical observations

• Grant number: 15/20863-9
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Effective date (Start): December 01, 2015
• Effective date (End): June 30, 2017
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Physics
• Principal Investigator: Rogério Rosenfeld
• Grantee: Nickolas Kokron
• Host Institution: Instituto de Física Teórica (IFT). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de São Paulo. São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 11/11973-4 - ICTP South American Institute for Fundamental Research: a regional center for theoretical physics, AP.TEM

Abstract

Cosmology has entered an era of precision measurements. Looking to answer some of the most fundamental questions regarding the nature of our Universe, large collaborations of scientists currently carry out large and diverse astronomical experiments. A few different surveys that stand out are: Measurements of cosmic microwave background radiation anisotropy, of distant type Ia supernovae and of the distribution of large-scale structure in the Universe (galaxies and galaxy clusters). State-of-the-art Theoretical Physics, bleeding-edge technology and advanced statistical tools are employed in unison to test diverse cosmological models and theories of modified gravity that attempt to explain what we observe when we look up to the sky and beyond. This Iniciação Científica project plans on introducing the student to the analytical and computational tools currently employed in Observational Cosmology. With these, the effects of different cosmological models in observations pertaining mainly to the distribution of matter at large-scales of the Univese will be studied, in both simulated and real data sets. (AU)