Prof. Greg Tarle' of U. Mich on "Exploring the Fabric of Space-Time with DESI"

Thursday Jun 1, 2017, 3:30 PM → 4:30 PM Pacific/Honolulu

112 (Watanabe Hall)

It has been nearly two decades since the discovery of the accelerating universe. While most have attributed the acceleration to a type of vacuum energy called Dark Energy, others have suggested that modifications to General Relativity may be required. An ambitious new experiment, the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI), will see first light on the Mayall Telescope early in 2019. In an attempt to reveal the underlying mechanism of cosmic acceleration, DESI will utilize a combination of Baryon Acoustic Oscillations and Redshift Space Distortions to map the expansion history of the universe and the growth of structure to unprecedented precision. In doing do, DESI may ultimately reveal to us the true nature of the “fabric” of empty space.