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Inflation Probe

The Inflation Probe Science Interest Group (IP SIG) will provide quantitative metrics and assessments to NASA with regard to a future Inflation Probe mission. The IP SIG is open to the scientific community.

About IP SIG

Updating Mission Science Goals and Assessing Necessary Technology Developments

The Inflation Probe SIG will review and update mission science goals following current developments in the field. 

IP SIG will review and update information about and requirements on potential foreground contaminants and their removal. IP SIG will also review and update requirements on and developments in control of systematic errors, and will assess necessary technology developments and prioritize areas for increased technical emphasis.

Expansion of the Universe about Updating Mission Science Goals and Assessing Necessary Technology Developments
A very bright-white point on the left side of the image. A rounded cone extends to the right. It initially rapidly enlarges then gradually enlarges as you move toward the right. An image of the cosmic microwave background fills the bottom of the cone, then darkness, then a plane of bluish-white light that over an extended period of time clump together to form the galaxies we know today.
A representation of the evolution of the universe over 13.77 billion years. The far left depicts the earliest moment we can now probe, when a period of “inflation” produced a burst of exponential growth in the universe. (Size is depicted by the vertical extent of the grid in this graphic.) For the next several billion years, the expansion of the universe gradually slowed down as the matter in the universe pulled on itself via gravity. More recently, the expansion has begun to speed up again as the repulsive effects of dark energy have come to dominate the expansion of the universe.
NASA, Illustrator: Britt Griswold (Maslow Media Group)

Inflation Probe SIG Chairs

Current Chairs

NameInstitutionTerm
Roger O’BrientJPLFeb 2023 – Dec 2025
Abigail T. CritesCornell University2025 –

Former Chairs

Former chairs of the Inflation Probe Science Interest Group (IP SIG) who served on the PhysPAG Executive Committee from 2011 through 2021.

NameInstitutionSIGTerm
Kevin HuffenbergerFlorida State UniversityCoS SIG / IP SIG2017 – 2021
Graca RochaJPLIP SIG / CoS SIG2017 – 2021
Abigail ViereggUniversity of ChicagoIP SIG / CR SIG2017 – 2020
Amber MillerColumbia UniversityIP SIG2015 – 2017
Edward WollackNASA / GSFCIP SIG2015 – 2017
James BockCaltech / JPLIP SIG2014 – 2016
Shaul HananyUniversity of MinnesotaIP SIG2011 – 2014

News & Events

Inflation Probe Science Interest Group (IP SIG)

Inflation Probe SIG Chairs Current Chairs Name Institution Term Roger O’Brient JPL Feb 2023 – Dec 2025 Abigail T. Crites Cornell University 2025 – Former Chairs Former chairs of the Inflation Probe Science Interest Group (IP SIG) who served on…

Sep 9, 2025
Topic
Inflation Probe SIG Meeting 4 April 2025

Inflation Probe SIG Meeting Abby Crites has agreed to co-chair the Inflation Probe SIG, so we will be welcoming her into that role. We will also have one of the PhysPAG scientists on the call, so they can describe to…

Apr 4, 2025
Topic
Inflation Probe SIG Meeting 21 Jan 2025

Inflation Probe SIG Meeting The IP SIG will meet to discuss writing a SAG whitepaper that would provide NASA community input on CMB in space.

Jan 21, 2025
Topic
APS Meeting April 2021

UNFORTUNATELY, THE LIVE PCOS SESSIONS BELOW ARE ACCESSIBLE ONLY TO REGISTERED ATTENDEES OF THE APS APRIL MEETING Saturday, 17 April 2021 PhysCOS & PhysPAG Town Hall Mini-Symposium (Session B21) Sponsoring Division: DGRAV, DAPChair: Graça Rocha (NASA JPL) Time Topic Speaker…

Apr 17, 2021
Topic
AAS Meeting 237 (Jan 2021)

Friday, 8 January 2021 NASA Joint PAG Session Time Topic Speaker Presentation 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM Update on NASA Astrophysics, Q&A Dr. Paul Hertz, Astrophysics Division Director [PDF] NASA Astrophysics Technology Needs: Plans for Factoring in the Decadal Survey’s…

Jan 11, 2021
Topic
APS Meeting April 2020

Saturday, 18 April 2020 Physics of the Cosmos & PCOS Program Analysis Group Town Hall Chair: Ryan Hickox Time Topic Speaker Presentation 1:30 PM – 1:42 PM PCOS Update Paul Hertz [PDF] 1:42 PM – 1:54 PM PhysPAG Update Graça…

Apr 18, 2020
Topic

Documents

The IPSIG was pleased to submit the White Paper, CMB Polarization Measurements: 2015 and Onward (August 2014), that summarized the current situation with B-mode measurements and provided our perspective for progress over the next several years. This white paper benefited from contributions by many within the CMB community both in the US and abroad. It had been discussed in two open telecons, undergone revisions to reflect concerns and inputs, and iterated upon by e-mails several times. It represents the outcome of a community-wide open, collaborative process.

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