Public Abstract

DE-SC0011665: Experimental Particle-Astrophysics at the University of Washington

Award Status: Active

Institution: University of Washington, Seattle, WA
UEI: HD1WMN6945W6
DUNS: 605799469

Most Recent Award Date: 12/13/2024
Number of Support Periods: 11
PM: Bautista, Manuel

Current Budget Period: 08/01/2024 - 03/31/2025
Current Project Period: 08/01/2024 - 03/31/2027
PI: Rybka, Gray

Supplement Budget Period: N/A

Public Abstract

This research has two thrusts: the search for Axion dark matter, and the commissioning of the Rubin Observatory and early dark energy science from the Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST). Thrust 1: ADMX The Axion Dark Matter Experiment (ADMX) is designed to detect dark-matter axions in our Milky Way halo via their conversion into microwave photons within a high-Q microwave cavity threaded by a large magnetic field. The snowmass 2013 community study report concluded that searches for dark matter QCD axions were extremely well motived and searches should be supported within the DOE Cosmic Frontier. The ADMX “Gen 2” experiment is the only axion search with sensitivity to the most plausible models of QCD dark matter axions and is in the middle of operations. The main part of this request is research support for the University of Washington’s significant contributions to the ADMX project: operations, analysis, and management. A small fraction of our activity is directed at developing future improvements (both in detector design and astrophysical models) to axion searches and applications of the ADMX detector technology to other light, weakly coupled physics. ADMX, sited at the University of Washington, is by far the leader in searching for the very compelling this group has driven much of the experiment design, construction, operations and analysis. Our group’s focus is discovering the axion. And the discovery of the axion would indeed be ground-breaking, answering the question of what comprises the vast majority of the mass in the universe. Thrust 2: The Rubin Observatory The second thrust is on the Rubin Observatory and its Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST), the flagship ground-based astronomical survey of the 2020s. This work will support the commissioning efforts for the survey, and the development of the tools and algorithms to ensure that the LSST meets its dark energy requirements. There are two components to this request. The first is to support the University of Washington’s engagement with the calibration and commissioning of the Rubin Observatory and its early operations. As part of this work, we will evaluate and characterize the performance of the commissioning data from ComCam and the LSSTCam as a function of observing conditions and in the context of dark energy science. The second component is to support early Rubin science for the Dark Energy Science Collaboration (DESC). We will develop new methodologies that extend photometric-redshifts (a key component of cosmological probes) for use in identifying high redshift galaxy populations. By cross-correlating the density of these galaxy populations with the structures we see in the cosmic microwave background we will constrain the properties of dark energy in the early universe.

This research has two thrusts: the search for Axion dark matter, and the commissioning of the Rubin Observatory and early dark energy science from the Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST).

Thrust 1: ADMX The Axion Dark Matter Experiment (ADMX) is designed to detect dark-matter axions in our Milky Way halo via their conversion into microwave photons within a high-Q microwave cavity threaded by a large magnetic field. The snowmass 2013 community study report concluded that searches for dark matter QCD axions were extremely well motived and searches should be supported within the DOE Cosmic Frontier. The ADMX “Gen 2” experiment is the only axion search with sensitivity to the most plausible models of QCD dark matter axions and is in the middle of operations.

The main part of this request is research support for the University of Washington’s significant contributions to the ADMX project: operations, analysis, and management. A small fraction of our activity is directed at developing future improvements (both in detector design and astrophysical models) to axion searches and applications of the ADMX detector technology to other light, weakly coupled physics.

ADMX, sited at the University of Washington, is by far the leader in searching for the very compelling this group has driven much of the experiment design, construction, operations and analysis. Our group’s focus is discovering the axion. And the discovery of the axion would indeed be ground-breaking, answering the question of what comprises the vast majority of the mass in the universe.

Thrust 2: The Rubin Observatory The second thrust is on the Rubin Observatory and its Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST), the flagship ground-based astronomical survey of the 2020s. This work will support the commissioning efforts for the survey, and the development of the tools and algorithms to ensure that the LSST meets its dark energy requirements.

There are two components to this request. The first is to support the University of Washington’s engagement with the calibration and commissioning of the Rubin Observatory and its early operations. As part of this work, we will evaluate and characterize the performance of the commissioning data from ComCam and the LSSTCam as a function of observing conditions and in the context of dark energy science.

The second component is to support early Rubin science for the Dark Energy Science Collaboration (DESC). We will develop new methodologies that extend photometric-redshifts (a key component of cosmological probes) for use in identifying high redshift galaxy populations. By cross-correlating the density of these galaxy populations with the structures we see in the cosmic microwave background we will constrain the properties of dark energy in the early universe.