Unraveling the mysteries of Dark Energy with a 3D map of the Universe.

Project level: Ph.D., Honours, Masters

We observe an accelerated expansion in the Universe, and yet we do not have a compelling explanation for this. The existence of this acceleration compels us to test gravitational physics on cosmological scales. A key method for characterizing the gravitational force is to compare the clustering of the galaxy distribution (generated by non-relativistic gravitational motions) with the gravitational lensing of light from distant sources, by these same galaxies. Different projects are available on this topic, with different but complementary goals. Such as - exploring possible theories for the accelerated expansion of the Universe - using clustering and lensing datasets to understand the nature of gravity - establishing a cosmological fitting pipeline for the analysis of new upcoming data sets - understanding observational effects (systematic) in the data. 

Students may choose to work with real data, theory, or simulations, developing different sets of skills highly valued for a range of roles in industry and academia. They will have the opportunity to be involved in large worldwide experiments such as the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI), the Dark Energy Survey (DES), collaborating with researchers driving the latest innovation and discoveries in the field in Australia and abroad.