PhD Defenses

PHYSICS PHD DISSERTATION DEFENSE - Christopher Davis

Date

Fri June 1st 2018, 12:30pm

Location

PAB 102/103

Ph.D. Candidate: Christopher Davis
Research Advisor: Aaron Roodman

Date: Friday, June 1, 2018
Time: 12:30pm
Location: PAB 102/103

Title: Improving Dark Energy Measurements by Controlling Systematics in the Point Spread Function and Redshift Distribution

Abstract: Wide-field photometric galaxy surveys like the Dark Energy Survey promise to constrain variations in the dark energy equation of state to the percent level. This tall order will only be met if systematics commensurately improve. In my thesis defense I will discuss two key sources of systematic error: measurements of the point spread function and of redshifts. I will present a physically motivated model of the point spread function which leverages our knowledge of optics and atmospheric turbulence. Next I will discuss an alternative means for measuring the redshift distribution of an ensemble of galaxies using their clustering with dark matter. This method is applied to Dark Energy Survey Year 1 galaxies to provide the current tightest constraints on the redshifts of a wide-field photometric survey. Finally, I will present recent work characterizing the redshifts of galaxies using self-organizing maps.