Cosmic optics

January 27, 2020
3:00pm to 4:15pm

IFT Seminar Room/Red Room

Theoretical Physics, general interest
Speaker: 
Pierre Fleury
Institution: 
IFT UAM-CSIC
Location&Place: 

IFT Seminar Room/Red Room

Abstract: 

As a branch of physical sciences, cosmology is quite peculiar; unlike in condensed-matter physics, quantum chemistry, or molecular biology, cosmology does not allow us to make controlled experiments on the object under study. We can only see what the Universe allows us to see, and strive to correctly interpret its messages. Thus, in order to understand anything about the history, the content,  and the origin of the Universe, it is crucial to understand how light propagates through it. I like to call this general topic “cosmic optics”.

Since I am a new research fellow of the IFT, I thought that this seminar could be an occasion to generally introduce my past and current research, in which comic optics has always been central. I intend to make this seminar very accessible to non-specialist, focussing on the motivations of my research, and taking enough time to introduce its key concepts.