Panexperiment Galactic Science Group

Composite image of Galactic emission as measured by the Planck satellite. Different colors represent dust, synchrotron, free-free, and carbon monoxide line emission. Credit: ESA/NASA/JPL-Caltech.

Our mission

The purpose of the Pan-Experiment Galactic Science Group is to pool expertise from researchers interested in using cosmic microwave background experiments to study the Milky Way. The group operates as a virtual meeting space for scientists that work across various CMB experiments, as well as other interstellar medium experts. Our focus is on the astrophysics of the Milky Way, including star formation, interstellar turbulence and magnetism, dust physics, cosmic ray radiation and propagation, and the multi-phase structure of the interstellar medium. We seek in particular to broaden the science yield of the sensitive, multi-frequency millimeter wavelength polarimetry provided by CMB experiments. We also draw upon the group expertise to build publicly available models of Galactic emission for use by the broader community.

Current focus

We currently have weekly telecons alternating between a Journal Club on Galactic Science and a meeting about the implementation of new Galactic models into PySM 3.

How to join

So far the leadership in the ACT, BICEP/Keck, BLAST, CCAT-prime, CMB-S4, LiteBIRD, SO, and SPT collaborations have endorsed membership in the GS Pan-Experiment Group, and we hope to grow to include other CMB experiments. If you represent an experiment that is interested in becoming affiliated, please contact Susan Clark and Brandon Hensley. We are now also accepting members from the ISM community who are not affiliated with any CMB experiments.

Please fill this Google Form to join.

Publications

The Astrodust+PAH Model: A Unified Description of the Extinction, Emission, and Polarization from Dust in the Diffuse Interstellar Medium

Hensley, Brandon S., and Draine, B. T.

2022

arXiv Bib URL

@article{hansley22,
  doi = {10.48550/ARXIV.2208.12365},
  author = {Hensley, Brandon S. and Draine, B. T.},
  keywords = {Astrophysics of Galaxies (astro-ph.GA), FOS: Physical sciences, FOS: Physical sciences},
  title = {The Astrodust+PAH Model: A Unified Description of the Extinction, Emission, and Polarization from Dust in the Diffuse Interstellar Medium},
  publisher = {arXiv},
  year = {2022},
}