Session
Poster Session 2026
Location
Orem, UT
Start Date
5-4-2026 9:49 AM
Description
The Hubble constant (��₀) describes the relationship between a galaxy’s distance and its recessional velocity and is essential for determining the universe’s age and expansion rate. While traditional measurements using Cepheid variables and Type Ia supernovae once roughly agreed with early-universe estimates from the cosmic microwave background, increasing precision has revealed a growing discrepancy known as the Hubble tension, which may indicate measurement errors or new physics. To help resolve this issue, our team is measuring distances to the Coma Cluster using surface brightness fluctuations, creating an independent pathway to determine ��₀ and test whether systematic errors in existing distance methods explain the tension.
Analysis of Surface Brightness Fluctuations in the Coma Cluster
Orem, UT
The Hubble constant (��₀) describes the relationship between a galaxy’s distance and its recessional velocity and is essential for determining the universe’s age and expansion rate. While traditional measurements using Cepheid variables and Type Ia supernovae once roughly agreed with early-universe estimates from the cosmic microwave background, increasing precision has revealed a growing discrepancy known as the Hubble tension, which may indicate measurement errors or new physics. To help resolve this issue, our team is measuring distances to the Coma Cluster using surface brightness fluctuations, creating an independent pathway to determine ��₀ and test whether systematic errors in existing distance methods explain the tension.