Title: Cosmology beyond ΛCDM with the Dark Energy Survey
Abstract:
Galaxy surveys like the Dark Energy Survey (DES) allow us to test cosmological models for physics affecting the properties and evolution of the Universe’s large-scale matter distribution. In doing so, we seek clues for how to build more fundamental descriptions of dark matter and dark energy, and thus work towards answering some of the most significant open questions in physics. I will give an overview of how we have used DES measurements of galaxy clustering and weak lensing to pursue this by extending analyses to constrain physics beyond the standard cosmological model. As a specific example, I will focus on a model in which a small fraction of dark matter is made of a sterile neutrino with eV-scale mass, highlighting results from the first three years of DES data as well as challenges which can guide future studies and preparation for beyond-ΛCDM science with next-generation cosmological experiments.
