New Opportunities with Weak Gravitational Lensing

NSF Award Search · 01002526DB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT · $528,007 · view on nsf.gov ↗

Abstract

Cosmological surveys will map the sky with unprecedented precision, creating new opportunities to understand the contents and evolution of the Universe. Gravitational lensing, the bending of light by cosmic structure, leaves characteristic imprints in our cosmic maps. Techniques to measure and utilize the effects of gravitational lensing have become increasingly important to maximize the scientific return of modern cosmological surveys. A team of scientists at Southern Methodist University (SMU) and Arizona State University (ASU) will build on these techniques in two distinct ways. First, methods used to search for gravitational lensing will be extended to search for gravitational waves, the ripples in spacetime produced by violent cosmic events like collisions of black holes. Additionally, a new technique for measuring the effects of gravitational lensing of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) will yield new insights to the distribution, and potentially the makeup, of the mysterious dark matter that pervades the Universe. As part of this project, the team will launch a new astronomy-oriented outreach program at SMU and will develop a series of interactive pedagogical diagrams for astrophysics and cosmology education, which will be used in ASU online courses. This project will demonstrate that a straightforward adaptation of lensing reconstruction techniques enables searches for a stochastic gravitational wave background across a wide range of frequencies. The team will

Key facts

NSF award ID
2510926
Awardee
Southern Methodist University (TX)
SAM.gov UEI
D33QGS3Q3DJ3
PI
Joel Meyers
Primary program
01002526DB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT
All programs
Windows on the Universe (WoU), OBSERVATIONAL ASTRONOMY
Estimated total
$528,007
Funds obligated
$528,007
Transaction type
Standard Grant
Period
10/01/2025 → 09/30/2027