Galaxies, Cosmology and the Radio Telescope Revolution -

Paving the Way to the Square Kilometre Array

Understanding how galaxies form and evolve within the standard cosmological framework that describes the Universe is among the biggest challenges in astronomy today. This talk will describe the connection between galaxies, dark matter and cosmology, how the atomic gas in galaxies can be a powerful cosmological probe, and how a revolution in our view of these objects and many others the night sky is underway with a new generation of radio telescopes. These facilities are paving the way for groundbreaking discoveries with the SKA telescope - an international mega-science project in which Canada will soon be a full member - which will come online towards the end of this decade.

Dr. Spekkens is a Professor in the Department of Physics and Space Science at the Royal Military College of Canada, and is the Canadian Science Director for the Square Kilometre Array.