By looking at catalogs of millions of distant galaxies, the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) has been able to provide very accurate measurements of the expansion history as a function of cosmic time. In order to go back in time as much as possible and study the Universe when it was even younger, we would like to map the distribution of matter at distances further than those accessible by galaxy surveys.
In this summer internship, the student will explore the possibility of mapping the young universe with two alternative probes: the Lyman alpha forest in quasars observed by DESI, and the density maps reconstructed from the lensing of the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB). These two probes have already been used independently, but they have not been used together. The join analysis of these datasets offers a very promising tool to study the young Universe, and complement current efforts that use galaxy surveys.
The internship will provide students with experience in python programming and data analysis, as well as the understanding of the phenomenon of the Lyman alpha forest, weak gravitational lensing and their significance in cosmology and astrophysics. They will also gain experience in presenting and discussing their work and findings in front of colleagues at weekly group meetings.
