ACP Seminar (Astronomy - Cosmology - Particle Physics)

Speaker: Chao-Lin Kuo (Stanford / SLAC)
Title: BICEP2 results, implications, and future
Date (JST): Mon, Apr 14, 2014, 13:30 - 15:00
Place: Lecture Hall
Abstract: The BICEP2 team has just announced the detection of degree-scale B-mode polarization of the CMB, consistent with the imprint of inflationary gravitational waves. r=0 model is ruled out at very high significance. BICEP2 is the second generation in the BICEP/Keck series of small refractor experiments. I will discuss the immediate prospect of confirming and expanding BICEP2's discovery by Keck Array and BICEP3. A dedicated program that covers more sky can significantly reduce the uncertainties on tensor amplitude, putting models of inflation to further test.