Scientific forecasts and participation in the data analysis of the first observations from the Simons Observatory Small Aperture Telescopes

The student will participate in the development and exploitation of the parametric, map-based pipeline for the scientific exploitation of CMB polarization data sets from the Simons Observatory (SO). Although this pipeline is optimized for the detection of primordial B-modes, the intern will lead an effort to measure the performance of the SO Small Aperture Telescopes to detect and characterize E-modes. Beyond their usefulness for calibration and to detect potential systematic effects, E-modes on the largest angular scales could have an important impact on e.g. our understanding of the reionization period, as well as the measurement of the total neutrino mass. ​