Shahbaz Ahmed Alvi

“Phenomenology of non-standard cosmological and gravity models in the era of precision cosmology.”
We are in an era of precision Cosmology, thanks to steady advances in technology and engineering. Precise measurements, over unfathomable distance, will become achievable, in the coming decades, by space and ground-based instruments. These measurements are very critical for our understanding of how the Universe, and the matter in it, evolved. Measurements over a broad spectrum of electromagnetic radiation, such as the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB), have already provided novel insight into the cosmic history and is expected to improve our understanding of the early Universe further.
Precision Large Scale Structure (LSS) surveys of the Universe, such as Euclid, would bring a wealth of information on the distribution of matter. LSS surveys, over a range of redshifts, will make it possible to,
• Test General Relativity on a cosmic scale,
• Further constraint the parameter of the ΛCDM model or suggest a novel model of the Universe,
• Constraint non-standard cosmological models and various competing models of gravity.

My research proposal for the Ph.D. position is to study,
• Systematics of the Euclid mission to develop numerical techniques and efficient algorithms to extract observables of interest from expected data.
• Phenomenology of non-standard cosmological models and alternative models of gravity, particularly,
    o     Constraining the large-scale phenomenology of these models through 
            LSS surveys.
    o      Exploring the combined constraints placed by the CMB and LSS
            surveys from various experiments.
• Cosmological measurements from different experiments and produce a scheme to combine them into a seamless framework. Such a framework can serve as a vital reference for further studies in the domain of cosmology.
The disciplines of Space Sciences continues to gather significant interest in Sindh and Baluchistan. My Ph.D. studies in the projects mentioned above will allow me to play an integral role in ushering Pakistan in the new era of Space Sciences. I am already involved in several projects in developing Astronomy as a field of Science in Sindh and Baluchistan. At present, I am working in collaboration with Taqwa Observatory near Bella, Baluchistan.
Hence, this position will serve as an excellent opportunity for me to enhance my education and experience and will significantly benefit my efforts here in Pakistan.
Supervisors: Dr. Zaheer Uddin, Dr. Christopher Savage, and Dr. Joakim Edjsö