Two KIPAC Tea Talks

 Revealing Quantum Gravity with the Event Horizon Telescope

There is currently great interest in experimental tests of quantum gravity theories. ‎However the EHT may provide the first opportunity for testing quantum gravity. In particular the Chapline-Laughlin -Mazur vacuum for quantum gravity leads to a spectacular prediction: the event horizon for any rotatating compact object has a toroidal topology. if this is the case then AGN jets may originate from the throat of this toroid.

Speaker: George Chapline, Lawrence Livermore National Labs

Predicting small-scale galaxy clustering and lensing with simulations

The statistical precision of galaxy clustering and lensing measurements is greatest at small (~Mpc) scales, but the complexities of structure formation and galaxy bias make this regime the most difficult for which to provide accurate predictions for use in cosmological analyses. I have used N-body simulations to predict structure formation, combined with a halo occupation distribution model to populate halos with galaxies, which provides accurate predictions in this regime for both galaxy clustering and galaxy-galaxy lensing across a wide range of galaxy and cosmological parameter space by using Gaussian process interpolation. In order to approach data, I have examined selection effects in the CMASS galaxy sample and suggest possible modifications to the standard halo model in order to incorporate such effects. I conclude with future directions and prospects for cosmological inference on small scales with DES and DESI.

Speaker: Ben Wibking, Ohio State Univ.