Robert Smith
Constraining the cosmological model with next generation large-scale structure surveys
We are on the brink of a revolution in our understanding of the Universe with the unfolding of two large galaxy surveys, the Rubin Telescope's legacy survey of space and time (LSST), and ESA's Euclid Mission. These surveys will enable us to map the positions and properties of tens of millions of galaxies across a significant fraction of the sky and out to depths of the order roughly 10 billion years into the past, thus covering a significant fraction of the observable Universe. This data will enable us to shed new light on the mysterious dark energy that causes the expansion rate to accelerate and the dark matter phenomenology. To constrain these physical processes we will make use of statistical measures such as the galaxy clustering statistics and the weak lensing correlations.
However, to accurately interpret this data, we will need to control a number of systematic effects to a high precision and also take our modelling of the observables to new heights. In particular, the nonlinear evolution of structure, redshift space distortions and galaxy biasing.
I have various open PhD projects that range from: developing new theoretical tools, like the halofit code, for interpreting the nonlinear matter power spectrum required for observables that can be embedded into parameter space samplers, like Kobaya; to exploring and creating new weak lensing observables; to performing state-of-the-art numerical simulations of cosmic structure formation on some of the largest super computers. These simulations enable us to build mock Universes and explore the complex nonlinear physics and observational effects that we need to understand precisely for an accurate interpretation of the data.
We are active members of the Rubin Telescope's LSST mission, Euclid and 4MOST. We are also part of the Virgo Consortium and so have access to the DiRAC framework and the COSMA8 supercomputer and through Euclid we have access to IRIS. The university of Sussex also has its own in house super computer called Artemis.
Should you have any questions about the project please do not hesitate to contact me directly.
Prof. Robert E. Smith (he/his)
Professor of Cosmological Physics,
Department of Physics and Astronomy,
University of Sussex,
Falmer, Brighton, BN1 9RH, East Sussex, UK.
email: r.e.smith@sussex.ac.uk