From dark matter to observed skies, creating a universe with state-of-the-art simulations

Preparations for upcoming cosmological surveys such as LSST can benefit greatly from the use of simulated observations, however creating realistic galaxy catalogs is an incredibly complex and challenging task. In this talk I will first discuss how such simulations can aid in the interpretation of modern cosmological datasets. I will then detail the creation of the cosmoDC2 synthetic sky catalog built for the LSST-DESC collaboration, with a particular focus on the development of the weak lensing pipeline. Finally I will discuss lessons learnt in the context of a future synthetic galaxy catalog currently in the early stages of development.

Speaker: Particia Larsen, ANL