Under Secretary for Science Paul Dabbar Recently Visited the South Pole Telescope in Antarctica.
December 18, 2019
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Under Secretary for Science Paul Dabbar Recently Visited the South Pole Telescope in Antarctica.
Penguins, ice sheets, snow – all things that you’d expect to find in the Antarctic. A physics project? Not so much. But the South Pole Telescope is one of the tools scientists are using to understand the earliest history of our universe. To check out the Department of Energy’s (DOE) investment in this project, DOE Undersecretary for Science Paul Dabbar visited the facility last week.
Unlike telescopes that examine individual planets or stars, the South Pole Telescope is designed to answer questions about the entire universe. About 14 billion years ago, the universe changed in a way that left a very faint “glow” of heat over the whole thing. Scientists call this “glow” the cosmic microwave background (CMB). By mapping the CMB, scientists can better understand what the universe looked like way back when the CMB formed. From there, they can gain insights into the universe’s origin. Because the CMB’s energy changes a little bit as it moves through giant groups of galaxies, mapping the CMB can also help scientists find these groups. These types of observations can help scientists better understand the “dark energy” that is causing the universe to expand ever faster.
While not a very convenient place for a telescope, the South Pole provides some handy benefits if you’re looking to measure the CMB. The water in the Earth’s atmosphere interferes with being able to measure the heat from the CMB. However, the Antarctic is a desert, so it’s very dry. The South Pole is also on a plateau that’s nearly two miles above sea level, above most water vapor in the air. In addition, the South Pole receives almost no sunshine during the winter. That makes it ideal for watching the sky. Another advantage is accessibility—compared to experiments in outer space. Scientists can service their instruments regularly at the South Pole and deploy next-generation detector technology much sooner there than in space.
DOE’s Office of Science partners with the National Science Foundation and several universities to operate the SPT. Because facilities like this are so unique, large teams come together to organize and run them. DOE provided the 16,000-detector payload for the 3rd generation instrument, which greatly increased its sensitivity. This puts the SPT at the forefront of CMB research.
While the South Pole Telescope is at the end of the Earth, scientists are using it to gain insight into the history of the entire universe.
Paul M. Dabbar
The Honorable Paul M. Dabbar served as the Department’s fourth Under Secretary for Science, He served as the Department’s principal advisor on fundamental energy research, energy technologies, and science, driving this mission through programs including nuclear and high energy particle physics, basic energy, advanced computing, fusion, and biological and environmental research, and direct management over a majority of the Department’s national labs and their world-leading user facilities. In addition, Mr. Dabbar managed the environmental and legacy management missions of the Department, addressing the U.S. legacy of nuclear weapons production and government-sponsored nuclear energy research. In addition, Mr. Dabbar is the lead for technology commercialization activities for the Department and its 17 national labs.
During his time in government service, Mr. Dabbar has traveled to both the North and South Poles. He traveled to the North Pole by submarine to conduct environmental research while in the Navy, and to the South Pole in support of high energy physics astronomy missions by the Department at South Pole Station.
Prior to confirmation as Under Secretary for Science, Mr. Dabbar worked in operations, finance, and strategy roles in the energy sector. As a Managing Director at J.P. Morgan, leading various energy business areas, he has over $400 billion in investment experience across all energy sectors including solar, wind, geothermal, distributed-generation, utility, LNG, pipeline, oil & gas, trading, and energy technologies, and has also led the majority of all nuclear transactions. In addition, he had a senior leadership role for the company’s commodity trading business, including power, oil and gas.
Before joining J.P. Morgan, Mr. Dabbar served as a nuclear submarine officer in Mare Island, California, and Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. He also served on the Department of Energy Environmental Management Advisory Board. He has been a lecturer at the U.S. Naval Academy, and conducted research at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory. He is also a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.
Mr. Dabbar received a B.S. degree from the U.S. Naval Academy, and a masters degree from Columbia University. Mr. Dabbar and his wife, Andrea, are the parents of two children.