High Energy-Astrophysics | A Road-map To Better Cluster Cosmology

Speaker: Jeeson Song (University of Illinois)

Clusters of galaxies are great laboratories for many astrophysical processes on galaxy scale and have become one of the key probes in today's cosmology. Their mass function redshift distribution helps unveiling the effect of the mysterious driving force - dark energy - on the evolution of the universe. In order to step forward to even higher precision cosmology using clusters, one not only needs to build a good cluster finder but also understands its systematics. In this talk, Professor Song will map out the round trip from how we estimate the selection function of a cluster finder more precisely to how we improve our tools for cosmology. This will include, 1) building an empirically-motivated mock catalog to test various analysis tools, including cluster finders, 2) understanding incompleteness of sub-mm cluster finding due to Active Galactic Nuclei, and 3) how we can improve cluster finding, especially in sub-mm wavelength. These projects are crucial in interpreting data from cluster surveys, such as South Pole Telescope (SPT) and Dark Energy Survey (DES).