Applied Physics/Physics Colloquium: David Schlegel- "Massive Redshift Surveys and Results from the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI)"

Abstract: The current generation of redshift surveys provide three-dimensional maps of the Universe with tens of millions of galaxies spanning much of the observable universe. These maps explore physics beyond the standard model, including the physics of dark energy and early universe inflation. David will present measurements of cosmic expansion and dark energy from the the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI). DESI is mapping the sky with a 5000-fiber robotic focal plane and 10 optical spectrographs. David will describe the design of the instrument, the survey, the analysis of the first three years of data, and what has been learned about the time evolution of dark energy.

David Schlegel is a Senior Scientist in the Physics Division at Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. He is the Project Scientist for the Dark Energy  Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) and co-PI for the Dark Energy Camera Legacy Survey. He has developed observational techniques for conducting imaging and spectroscopic surveys, including algorithms for measuring distant galaxies in the low signal-to-noise limit.  He is a recipient of the E. O. Lawrence Award for his leadership and innovations in transforming cosmology into a precision science.