Masashi Hazumi (KEK) "LiteBIRD Satellite for Tests of Cosmic Inflation and Quantum Gravity"

Abstract:
Cosmological inflation is the leading hypothesis to resolve the problems in the Big Bang theory.
It predicts that primordial gravitational waves were created during the inflationary era, which
then imprinted large-scale curl patterns in the cosmic microwave background (CMB)
polarization map called the B-modes.
Measurements of the CMB B-mode signals are known as the best probe
to detect the primordial gravitational waves.
LiteBIRD is a candidate for JAXA’s strategic large mission to map the polarization of
the CMB radiation over the full sky at large angular scales with unprecedented precision,
which will offer us a crucial test of cosmic inflation. It will also serve as the first crucial test of
quantum gravity such as superstring theory. Precise polarization maps of LiteBIRD will also
provide us with valuable pieces of information on particle physics and astrophysics.
In this talk, I will give an overview of the science and design of LiteBIRD