Dr. Colin Bischoff studies the polarization of the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) using the BICEP series of telescopes at the South Pole. The CMB is a relic radiation field that was emitted shortly after the Big Bang. By studying CMB polarization, he hopes to detect a signal of primordial gravitational waves that are predicted by inflation, our leading theory of the conditions that produced the Big Bang. Two currently operating telescopes, BICEP3 and the Keck Array, are currently producing the most sensitive CMB polarization data for this purpose. Dr. Bischoff’s efforts span instrumentation, telescope operations, and data analysis, with special focus on polarized microwave foregrounds from the Milky Way, which can bias our measurements of the primordial signal. He is also involved in planning for the future BICEP Array and CMB Stage 4 experiments.
