University of Illinois Observational Cosmology Laboratory

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Observational Cosmology at the University of Illinois

Planck CMB Map

spt_twilight
The South Pole Telescope at twilight

The Observational Cosmology Laboratory (ObsCos) at the University of Illinois is engaged in cutting-edge research spanning the fields of astronomy, cosmology, physics, materials science, and optics. Under the direction of Professor Joaquin Vieira, ObsCos work explores the early universe through the echos of the big bang, known as the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB).

Students involved in the Observational Cosmology Laboratory perform analysis of data cosmological surveys in an on-going effort to map and interpret the universe’s earliest light.

Andrew Nadolski - Astronomy grad student working on a lenslet array
Andrew Nadolski – Astronomy Graduate student

The ObsCos lab is developing cryogenic optics for next-generation CMB experiments. This R&D exposes students to clean-room tasks, software simulation, electronics, data acquisition and involvement in a large scale scientific research project.