Masashi Hazumi: "Cosmological inflation is the leading hypothesis to resolve the problems in the Big Bang theory. It predicts that primordial gravitational waves were created during the inflationary era, which then imprinted large-scale curl patterns in the cosmic microwave background (CMB) polarization map, called the B-modes. Measurements of the CMB B-mode signals are known as the best probe to detect the primordial gravitational waves. LiteBIRD is a candidate for JAXA’s strategic large mission to map the polarization of the CMB radiation over the full sky at large angular scales with unprecedented precision, which will offer us a crucial test of cosmic inflation. It will also serve as the first crucial test of quantum gravity such as superstring theory. Precise polarization maps of LiteBIRD will also provide us with valuable pieces of information on particle physics and astrophysics. In this talk, I will give an overview of the science and design of LiteBIRD."
