Claudia Scóccola
In search of primordial B-modes: challenges and advances in cosmic microwave background polarization
The standard cosmological model, based on General Relativity and particle physics, describes the evolution of the Universe from its initial moments to the present day. The Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) is one of the observational pillars of this theoretical framework. In recent decades, increasingly precise measurements have allowed us to place tighter constraints on the parameters of the cosmological model, giving rise to what we now call ”precision cosmology”. However, fundamental challenges remain, such as understanding the nature of dark matter and dark energy, or determining the initial conditions of the Universe in greater detail. In particular, the polarization of the CMB contains a subtle signal from primordial gravitational waves, generated during inflation, a brief period of exponentially accelerated expansion of the Universe. These gravitational waves would leave a characteristic pattern in the polarization, known as B-modes. Detecting these modes remains a challenge due to their intrinsic weakness and contamination from polarized radiation in our galaxy. This talk reviews the current state of the field, exploring observational challenges, advancements in instrumentation and data analysis, and future prospects for detecting primordial B-modes.
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Tuesday
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In search of primordial B-modes: challenges and advances in cosmic microwave background polarization
