Misha Ivanov

Unveiling the Birth of the Universe with Galaxy Surveys

Abstract:
The exponential expansion of the early Universe, known as cosmic inflation, is the most compelling theoretical explanation for the observed large-scale structure of the cosmos. While basic features of inflation are well understood, its precise particle physics realization remains unknown. I will present a new program of extracting information from galaxy surveys that will help elucidate the nature of inflation. This program builds on quantum field theory tools that have allowed me to achieve sub-percent precision understanding of galaxy clustering on mildly non-linear scales. I will share some results of this program from my independent analysis of publicly available galaxy survey data. These results include new constraints on particle content, interactions, and parity violation during inflation.