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Astrophysics, Gravitation and Cosmology Seminar - Steven Benton (Princeton)

Event Type
Seminar/Symposium
Sponsor
Department of Physics
Virtual
wifi event
Date
Mar 17, 2021   12:00 pm  
Speaker
Steven Benton (Princeton)
Contact
Brandy Shier
E-Mail
bshier@illinois.edu
Views
20
Originating Calendar
Physics - Astrophysics, Relativity, and Cosmology Seminar

Weak Lensing, Dark Matter, & Optical Astrophysics from a Balloon

SuperBIT is the first of its kind, three-axis stabilized, high-resolution, wide-field imaging telescope that flies on a stratospheric balloon. From its space-like observing platform, SuperBIT will spend its 2022 long duration flight making weak lensing measurements of dark matter around 50 galaxy clusters. I also report on results from the 2019 test flight in which SuperBIT demonstrated diffration limited imaging over the entire half degree field of view of its 0.5m telescope. SuperBIT is a technical pathfinder for a 1.3 m successor. With applications extending beyond weak lensing, we hope to develop a facility-class instrument that will augment and even surpass the capabilities of Hubble and other upcoming space telescopes.

Zoom link will be sent to the astro@physics.illinois.edu mailing list. There will be an informal meet-and-greet with the speaker at 11:30am Central.

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