RESEARCH INTERESTS
Observational Cosmology and Active Galaxies
My main areas of interest are observational cosmology, especially the cosmic microwave background radiation, and active galaxies, with special emphasis on the central engines that drive them and the formation of relativistic jets. In carrying out research in both these areas I am particularly interested in developing state-of-the-art instrumentation.
Over the last ten years I led the Cosmic Background Imager (CBI) project in Chile, and this has now been superseded by the QU Imaging ExperimenT (QUIET) project at the same site. In Phase I, we demonstrated the feasibility of using Monolithic Millimeterwave Integrated Circuits (MMICs) for making very sensitive observations of the cosmic microwave background, and we are now embarking on QUIET Phase II, with which we hope to detect the large-scale B-mode polarization radiation caused by gravitational waves interacting with the CMB. The detection of this signal would prove that the universe did go through an inflationary phase, reveal the energy scale of inflation, possibly pushing the clock back to 10-35 s after the Big Bang. Our new radio laboratory in Cahill is working closely with JPL and Northrop Grumman Corporation to improve the sensitivity of the MMIC amplifiers.