The Simons Observatory (SO) is building small and large-aperture CMB telescopes at an elevation of 5,200 meters in the Atacama Desert in Chile. SO will explore the history and evolution of our universe, constraining cosmology and investigating open questions in astrophysics. I have collaborated on the development of the SO Large Aperture Telescope Receiver, and my work testing detectors and readout components has provided the first comparative studies of device magnetic sensitivity across experiments, informed the fabrication process for SO TESes, and motivated magnetic shielding designs for SO. I am currently working as the Co-chair of the Engagement, Mentorship, and Climate Committee, and the Team Lead for the SO APS-IDEA team, working to promote an inclusive environment within the collaboration, communicate our science to the diverse global public, and developing strategic plans for improving equality, diversity and inclusion within SO.

Select Publications:

Z. Huber, Y. Li, E. M. Vavagiakis et al. 2022, “The Simons Observatory: Magnetic Shielding Measurements for the Universal Multiplexing Module,” J. Low Temp. Phys. 2022, arXiv:2111.11495.

E. M. Vavagiakis et al. 2020, “The Simons Observatory: Magnetic Sensitivity Measurements of Microwave SQUID Multiplexers,” IEEE Trans. Appl. Supercond., 31, 5, arXiv:2012.04532.

J. R. Stevens, N. F. Cothard, E. M. Vavagiakis et al. 2019, “Characterization of Transition Edge Sensors for the Simons Observatory,” J. Low Temp. Phys. 199, 672–680, arXiv:1912.00860.

E. M. Vavagiakis, S. W. Henderson, K. Zheng et al. 2018, “Magnetic Sensitivity of AlMn TESes and Shielding Considerations for Next Generation CMB Surveys,” J. Low Temp. Phys. 193, 288–297, arXiv:1710.08456.

Learn more about SO:

Simons Observatory Public Webpage

Follow SO on twitter: @SimonsObs

The Simons Observatory Collaboration at our meeting this summer

Header Image Credit: Simons Observatory