Cornell Department of Astronomy & Space Sciences Fall 2026 Colloquium Series
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Space Sciences Building, 105, Tompkins
"Dark matter and cosmic flows" Abstract: Dark matter scaffolds structure in the universe, providing most of the gravity that dictates the motions of cosmic structures as the universe expands. I will describe how the cosmic microwave background (CMB), the oldest light in the universe, allows us to (a) map out where the total matter in the universe is and (b) together with galaxy surveys, map out 3d bulk velocities in the universe. The Atacama Cosmology Telescope (ACT) in particular has now demonstrated how precision measurements of the CMB allow us to transform these observables into state-of-the-art constraints on neutrino mass, wave dark matter and inflationary non-Gaussianity. I will also show new results from the Simons Observatory, which is currently mapping the microwave sky at ten times the speed of ACT. The Brinson Lecture: This Lecture is sponsored by the Brinson Foundation which is a privately funded philanthropic organization that provides an opportunity to focus our family’s common interests in encouraging personal initiative, advancing individual freedoms and liberties, and positively contributing to society in the areas of education and scientific research. https://brinsonfoundation.org/