WEBSEDGE SCIENCE - Our ability to observe the universe has gone hand in hand with the advances in technology we’ve made to do so. To understand the mysteries of the universe, we’ve gone from visible light, to ultraviolet and infrared, x-ray and gamma-ray. Today, as cosmologists begin to detect even more opaque phenomena like gravitational waves and dark matter, the technology we use only unlocks further questions – and the need for further means to find the answers.
University of California, Riverside’s Center for Experimental Cosmology and Instrumentation (CECI) is the only center in the US with a mission to develop new instrumentation. Driven by renowned cosmologist Barry Barish, CECI is recruiting the next generation of experimental cosmologists to build the instruments and components we need to solve the next big mysteries.
One group at the center is working to enable megawatt levels of laser power with highly entangled quantum states of light, to help build the next generation of gravitational wave detector, Cosmic Explorer. Another is designing new dark matter and neutrino detectors sensitive to low-energy signals from rare interactions like supernovas. One more is focused on building detectors using superconducting materials to measure cosmic background radiation.
CECI brings together the strengths of UCR’s Physics Department by utilizing the synergies between the condensed matter groups who develop advanced semiconductor and quantum materials needed for new instruments, and the astronomy and particle theory groups that help optimize designs for important scientific questions.
At the same time, this hub of innovation is a unique training ground for students, as well as an opportunity to boost the local economy through the development of new related industries like quantum and semiconductor industries.
Investment in the future is essential for the future of cosmology. As our reach gets further and our tools get more sophisticated, cosmology is increasingly dependent on long term collaborations with a vision for the big experiments of the future. Observing black hole formation in real time, discovering the true nature of dark matter, and understanding why the universe favors matter over anti-matter – these are all questions that the work of CECI will help us answer in the future.
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