This program will develop theoretical tools and analysis methods to apply to current and upcoming Atacama Cosmology Telescope (ACT) total intensity and polarization data. Three specific analyses will be considered: the Cosmic Microwave Background lensing signal by foreground galaxy clusters, the large angle CMB lensing versus temperature cross correlation, and an extension and improvement of ACT's measurements of galaxy motions via the mean pairwise velocity of galaxy clusters. These three studies will advance the understanding of growth of structure in the universe and the nature of gravitation on cosmological scales.
Broader impacts of the work include training of undergraduate and graduate students. In addition, Dr. Kosowsky will organize a scientist-teacher partnership program in the Pittsburgh region, modeled on the successful NSF Graduate STEM Fellows in K-12 Education program.
