Scientific exploitation of
the Planck-LFI data
(Planck-LFI_SED)
ESA/PECS Contract No.C98051
The overall objective of this project is the contribution to the scientific exploitation of the Planck-LFI data before and during the proprietary period.
The feasibility of this objective is ensured by the experience of the research team the field of Cosmology and Astrophysics and the large collaboration experience of the team leader of the project with the Planck-LFI Scientific Ground Segment, Data Processing Centre (DPC) and Scientific Working Groups.
The accesses to Planck-LFI data in flight and during the proprietary period and the access to the DPC pipeline are ensured as the team leader of the project is also Planck Scientist and member of the Planck Consortium.
Also, the Institute for Space Sciences (ISS) has a special agreement with INAF/IASF Bologna, the Principal Investigator of the Planck-LFI instrument.
The roadmap of the project includes the following fundamental open problems in Astrophysics and Cosmology:
- The unique CMB polarization signal on large angular scales and tests of the inflation models and inflation energy scale.
- Study of the evolution of the cosmic structure by using the CMB anisotropy at small angular scales.
- Limits on the foreground signals, particularly related to the emission from our Galaxy. Determination of the absolute minimum for the foregrounds emission.
- The role of the Dark Matter content and its and the production mechanisms
- Possible connection between the Dark Matter and Dark Energy: can they be produced by the same mechanisms.
- The role of the reionization history for the cosmological structure formation.
The proposed research project will be part of the scientific exploitation of PLANCK mission data during the proprietary period.
The large amount of computing resources required for this plan will be provided by using the recently born European GRID network developed for astronomical purposes inside the European astrophysics community as a new promising technology to share computing resources. At the present time there are not many astronomical packages designed to fully exploit the GRID potential. The project will require to port existing codes under GRID for astronomy and to develop new ones which will be then available to the European astronomical community.
Yearly Reports: