Science Analysis Group
Cosmic Microwave Background Probe
The CMB SAG will evaluate the role that a future Cosmic Microwave Background space mission would play in addressing fundamental questions about our universe.
About CMB SAG
Significant Recent Developments Compel a Critical Re-evaluation of the Role of a CMB Probe
The importance of CMB science was emphasized by the 2020 Decadal Survey Report, Pathways to Discovery in Astronomy and Astrophysics for the 2020s.
Next-generation cosmic microwave background (CMB) telescopes will address fundamental questions about our universe, including illuminating the physics that drove inflation at energy scales beyond the reach of terrestrial particle accelerators, shedding light on the epoch of reionization when the first stars turned on, improving constraints on the mass of neutrinos, and searching for the signature of additional light relic particles and other physics beyond the Standard Model.
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CMB instruments will have a profound impact on astrophysics by mapping and characterizing Galactic emissions, probing the structure of the universe through detection of tens of thousands of clusters and other sources, and tracking the variability of the sky at millimeter and sub-millimeter wavelengths.
This group will evaluate the role that a future CMB space mission would play in addressing these questions, key trades to be considered in mission architecture, and the technologies that need to be matured to enable such a mission. Specific questions to be addressed are:
- What has changed in the scientific landscape relative to Astro2020? What guidance and conclusions do we draw from developments in understanding Galactic Foregrounds and delensing techniques?
- What would be the role of a CMB Probe and how would it complement ground-based, balloon-borne, and other space projects? What would be the legacy value of such a Probe to a broad range of science?
- Have there been significant developments in component technologies or launch capabilities that need to be studied in advance of the 2030 Decadal Survey? What technology development is still needed to enable a CMB Probe mission?
CMB SAG Co-Chairs
| Name | Institution |
|---|---|
| Shaul Hanany | University of Minnesota |
| Brendan Crill | JPL |
| Tom Essinger-Hileman | NASA Goddard Space Flight Center |
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