Professor Peterson's research focuses on observational cosmology, including measurements of anisotropy in the 2.7K Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB), the thermal radiation relic of the hot big bang. CMB anisotropy provides direct information on the structure in the Universe at age 300,000 years. This information is used to attempt to answer such questions as these: Did the Universe undergo an inflationary period of vacuum-energy-driven expansion? If so could quantum fluctuations have produced the anisotropy in the CBR? How did the large scale structure in the Universe, the great clusters and sheets of galaxies, form? Peterson's group builds telescopes and photometers to make CBR anisotropy measurements and uses them at the South Pole. Graduate students and undergraduates travel to the Pole to install and test their instruments. Other research projects within the group include studies of galaxy clustering and gravitational lensing.

Selected Publications

Chang, TC; Pen, UL; Peterson, JB; et al., “Baryon acoustic oscillation intensity mapping of dark energy,” Physical Review Letters, 100 (9): Art. No. 091303 MAR 7 2008

Kuo, CL; Ade, PAR; Bock, JJ;.. Peterson, JB; et al., “Improved measurements of the CMB power spectrum with ACBAR,” Astrophysical Journal, 664 (2): 687-701 Part 1 Aug 1 2007

Peterson, JB; Romer, AK; Gomez, PL; et al., “Imaging the Cosmic Microwave Background with the Arcminute Cosmology Bolometer Array Receiver,” Lau Symposia, (216): 43-50 2005

Calisse, PG; Ashley, MCB; Burton, MG; .. Peterson, JB; et al.,  “Submillimeter site testing at Dome C, Antarctica,”  Publications of the Astronomical Society of Australia, 21 (3): 256-263 2004

Peterson, JB; Pen, UL; Wu, XP, “The Primeval Structure Telescope,”
Modern Physics Letters A, 19 (13-16): 1001-1008 Sp. Iss. SI MAY 30 2004

Kuo, CL; Ade, PAR; Bock, JJ; .. Peterson, JB; et al., “High-resolution observations of the cosmic microwave background power spectrum with ACBAR,”
Astrophysical Journal, 600 (1): 32-51 Part 1 Jan 1 2004

Runyan, MC; Ade, PAR; Bock, JJ; .. Peterson, JB; et al., “First results from the arcminute cosmology bolometer array receiver,”  New Astronomy Reviews,  47 (11-12): 915-923 Dec 2003