Astro Seminar Series - VIA ZOOM

Cora Uhlemann works on modelling cosmic structure formation by utilising tools from different areas of theoretical physics in order to probe fundamental physics. In particular, she is interested in non-Gaussian clustering statistics and nonlinear gravitational dynamics. Cora is a Euclid collaboration member and co-leads the work package for Additional Galaxy Clustering Probes. Currently, Cora is a Lecturer at Newcastle University (UK). Before coming to Newcastle, she was a Research Associate in the group of Paul Shellard at The Stephen Hawking Centre for Theoretical Cosmology in Cambridge and a Research Fellow at Fitzwilliam College (2017-2019). Earlier, Cora was a PostDoc at the Delta Institute for Theoretical Physics in the group of Enrico Pajer at Utrecht University (2015-2017). She finished her PhD in Theoretical Cosmology in 2015 at the  Ludwig-Maximilians-University in Munich, supervised by Stefan Hofmann.

Talk Title and Abstract:

Cosmology and fundamental physics with one-point statistics

One-point statistics such as counts-in-cells capture essential non-Gaussian properties of the cosmic web, including peculiar regions of high and low density. I will show that those statistics not only provide information complementary to common two-point statistics, but also allow for accurate theoretical predictions. I will explain how matter counts-in-cells statistics and their dependence on cosmological parameters can be predicted from first principles. With a Fisher forecast for constraints on LCDM parameters and the total neutrino mass, I demonstrate the constraining power of the matter PDF and its complementarity to the matter power spectrum at mildly nonlinear scales. Finally, I will discuss how predictions for the matter PDF can be adapted to predict projected densities and weak lensing statistics. I will show promising results comparing the lensing convergence PDF and two-point correlation function.

Would you like to join this Zoom seminar?  Please email Donna Hayes.