Gravitational lensing effect on the cosmic background radiation caused by galaxy clusters

• Grant number: 05/03528-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: March 01, 2006
• End date: July 09, 2006
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Astronomy
• Principal Investigator: Luis Raul Weber Abramo
• Grantee: Paulo Henrique Flose Reimberg
• Host Institution: Instituto de Física (IF). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The cosmic microwave background radiation has several foregrounds, i.e., secondary emissions that distort the primordial pattern imprinted at the time of last scattering of the CMB photons. One of these effects is the weak gravitational lensing of the CMB by galaxy clusters. We will study how galaxy clusters distort the CMB temperature maps and introduce a cosmic shear foreground. We will investigate what can be learned about clusters from the analysis of this cosmic shear, as well as the prospects for its future detection with high precision instruments. (AU)