Cosmology

Cosmologists at Perimeter Institute seek to help pin down the constituents and history of our universe, and the rules governing its origin and evolution. Many of the most interesting clues about physics beyond the standard model (e.g., dark matter, dark energy, the matter/anti-matter asymmetry, and the spectrum of primordial density perturbations], come from cosmological observations, and cosmological observations are often the best way to test or constrain a proposed modification of the laws of nature, since such observations can probe length scales, time scales, and energy scales that are beyond the reach of terrestrial laboratories.

Displaying 1153 - 1164 of 2233

Inflation, Variable Speed of Light and BICEP2

John Moffat Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics
June 12, 2014

PIRSA:14060044
Cosmology
Wild and tame scalar-tensor black holes

Valerio Faraoni Bishop's University
June 10, 2014

PIRSA:14060043
Cosmology
Neutrino Wakes

Ue-Li Pen University of Toronto
June 06, 2014

PIRSA:14060041
Cosmology
Some Conceptual Problems in General Relativity and Cosmology

Jayant Narlikar IUCAA - The Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics
June 03, 2014

PIRSA:14060004
Cosmology
Black holes and Boyle's Law --- the thermodynamics of Einstein's greatest mistake

Brian Dolan Maynooth University
May 20, 2014

PIRSA:14050093
Cosmology
What can we learn from modifing gravity ?

Claudia de Rham Imperial College London
May 14, 2014

PIRSA:14050003
Cosmology
Random models of inflation

Andrew Liddle University of Lisbon
May 13, 2014

PIRSA:14050007
Cosmology
Noncommutative geometry and the symmetries of the standard model

Fedele Lizzi University of Naples Federico II
May 06, 2014

PIRSA:14050031
Particle Physics

Cosmology
The Case for an Alternative Cosmology

Jayant Narlikar IUCAA - The Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics
May 06, 2014

PIRSA:14050034
Cosmology
Galileon Maps: Inequivalent Coset Constructions for Spacetime Symmetries

Gabirele Trevisan SISSA International School for Advanced Studies
April 29, 2014

PIRSA:14040132
Cosmology
Groups and Clusters of Galaxies: Where Cosmology and Astrophysics Collide

Arif Babul University of Victoria
April 15, 2014

PIRSA:14040133
Cosmology
Is the Milky Way Ringing?

Lawrence Widrow Queen's University
April 08, 2014

PIRSA:14040137
Cosmology

Inflation, Variable Speed of Light and BICEP2

John Moffat Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics
June 12, 2014

PIRSA:14060044
Cosmology
A variable speed of light (VSL) cosmology is developed with a spontaneous breaking of Lorentz invariance in the early universe. A non-minimal electromagnetic coupling to curvature and the resulting quantum electrodynamic vacuum polarization dispersive medium can produce c >> c0 in the early universe, where c0 is the measured speed of light today. Higher derivative curvature contributions to the effective gravitational action and quantum gravity vacuum polarization can produce a dispersive medium and a large increase in the speed of gravitational waves cg >> cg0 in the early universe, where cg0 is the speed of gravitational waves today. The initial value problems of cosmology are solved: the horizon and flatness problems. The model predicts primordial scalar and tensor fluctuation spectral indices ns=0.96 and nt=- 0.04, respectively. The BICEP2 observation of r=0.2 yields r/nt=-5 which is close to the single-field inflationary consistency condition r/nt=-8.
Wild and tame scalar-tensor black holes

Valerio Faraoni Bishop's University
June 10, 2014

PIRSA:14060043
Cosmology
In scalar-tensor gravity, black holes do not obey the Jebsen-Birkhoff theorem. Non-isolated black holes can be highly dynamical and the teleological concept of event horizon is replaced by the apparent or trapping horizon. Dynamical solutions describing inhomogeneities embedded in cosmological "backgrounds" and the phenomenology of their apparent horizons, which often appear/vanish in pairs, will be described. Isolated black holes, in contrast, have no hair and are the same as in general relativity.
Neutrino Wakes

Ue-Li Pen University of Toronto
June 06, 2014

PIRSA:14060041
Cosmology
We identify a new non-linear neutrino wake effect, due to the streaming motions of neutrinos relative to dark matter, analogous to the Tseliakhovich-Hirata effect. We compute the effect in moving background perturbation theory, compare to direct n-body simulations, and forecast its observability in current and future surveys. Depending on neutrino mass, this effect could be observable in upcoming surveys through a cross correlation dipole in lensing and galaxies. Unlike previous cosmological neutrino effects, this depends primarily on neutrino mass, making it complementary to measurements that depend on neutrino density.
Some Conceptual Problems in General Relativity and Cosmology

Jayant Narlikar IUCAA - The Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics
June 03, 2014

PIRSA:14060004
Cosmology
This talk will try to highlight some basic problems connected with conclusions uncritically drawn from well known works. These include: 1. The Schwarzschild solution 2. The formation of black holes by gravitational collapse 3. The no hair theorem 4. The principle of equivalence in the very early universe.
Black holes and Boyle's Law --- the thermodynamics of Einstein's greatest mistake

Brian Dolan Maynooth University
May 20, 2014

PIRSA:14050093
Cosmology
The thermodynamics of black holes will be reviewed and recent developments incorporating pressure into the first law described. The asymptotically AdS Kerr metric has a van der Waals type critical point with a line of first order phase transitions terminating at a critical point with mean field exponents. The phase structure and stability of black holes in higher dimensions will also be described.
What can we learn from modifing gravity ?

Claudia de Rham Imperial College London
May 14, 2014

PIRSA:14050003
Cosmology
I will review models of modified gravity in the infrared and show how extra degrees of freedom present in these theories get screened via the Vainshtein mechanism. That mechanism comes hand in hand with its own share of peculiarities: classical superluminalities, strong coupling and perturbative non-analyticity of the S-matrix to name a few. From a traditional effective field viewpoint such effects are disastrous but I will present the first hints in understanding these theories beyond the traditional perspective and their implications not only for gravity but also for our understanding of a certain class of field theories.
Random models of inflation

Andrew Liddle University of Lisbon
May 13, 2014

PIRSA:14050007
Cosmology
Rather than writing down specific functional forms, one can generate inflation models via stochastic processes in order to explore generic properties of inflation models. I describe our explorations of the phenomenology of randomly-generated multi-field inflation models, both for canonical fields and for a braneworld-motivated scenario. Implications of some recent observational results, including BICEP2, will be discussed.
Noncommutative geometry and the symmetries of the standard model

Fedele Lizzi University of Naples Federico II
May 06, 2014

PIRSA:14050031
Particle Physics

Cosmology
I will describe Connes approach to the standard model based on spectral noncommutative geometry with particular emphasis on the symmetries. The model poses constraints which are satisfied by the standard model group, and does not leave much room for other possibilities. There is however a possibility for a larger symmetry (the ``grand algebra'') which may also be instrumental to obtain the correct mass of the Higgs.
The Case for an Alternative Cosmology

Jayant Narlikar IUCAA - The Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics
May 06, 2014

PIRSA:14050034
Cosmology
This talk will describe the Quasi-Steady State Cosmology proposed in 1993 by Fred Hoyle, Geoffrey Burbidge and Jayant Narlikar. Starting with the motivation for this exercise, a formal field theoretic framework inspired by Mach’s principle is shown to lead to this model. The model is a generalization of the classical steady state model in the sense that it is driven by a scalar field which causes creation in explosive form. Such ‘minicreation events’ lead to a universe with a long term de Sitter expansion superposed with oscillations of shorter time scales. It is shown that this cosmology explains all the observed cosmological features and that there exist potential tests to distinguish between this cosmology and the standard big bang cosmology.
Galileon Maps: Inequivalent Coset Constructions for Spacetime Symmetries

Gabirele Trevisan SISSA International School for Advanced Studies
April 29, 2014

PIRSA:14040132
Cosmology
Non-linear realizations of spacetime symmetries can be obtained by a generalization of the coset construction valid for internal ones. The physical equivalence of different representations for spacetime symmetries is not obvious, since their relation involves not only a redefinition of the fields but also a field-dependent change of coordinates. A simple and relevant spacetime symmetry is obtained by the contraction of the 4D conformal group that leads to the Galileon group. In this talk I will analyze two non-linear realizations of this group, focusing in particular on the propagation of signals around non-trivial backgrounds.
Groups and Clusters of Galaxies: Where Cosmology and Astrophysics Collide

Arif Babul University of Victoria
April 15, 2014

PIRSA:14040133
Cosmology
Groups and clusters of galaxies are the most massive gravitationally bound objects in the Universe. They are also the most recent cosmic objects to form. In the currently accepted models of cosmic structure formation, the number density distribution of the most massive of these systems, and how this has been changing with time, depend sensitively to the parameters describing the large-scale geometry and the expansion history of the universe. However, to exploit galaxy clusters as cosmological probes, we must be able to relate their observable properties to their total mass. I will discuss our ongoing effort to calibrate the X-ray/SZ observations to the total mass for the 50 clusters comprising the Canadian Cluster Comparison Project (CCCP) sample. Resulting scaling relations, the associated scatter, and even how these change with time, invariably depend on "astrophysics" unfolding in these systems. The precision with which the cosmological parameters can be determined depends critically on how well we understand why groups and clusters manifest the observed properties that they do. This, however, has proven challenging. I will provide an update of the current state of affairs and highlight some of the key gaps in our understanding of the underlying physics.
Is the Milky Way Ringing?

Lawrence Widrow Queen's University
April 08, 2014

PIRSA:14040137
Cosmology
Recent observations from three different astronomical surveys have revealed evidence for asymmetries about the Galactic midplane in the kinematics of solar neighborhood stars. These asymmetries appear, in part, as compression-rarefaction modes in the bulk motions of stars perpendicular to the midplane. I will discuss the hypothesis that these motions were caused by the recent passage of a satellite galaxy or dark matter subhalo through the Galactic disk. In short, we may be witnessing the early stages of a disk-heating event during which the Galaxy's disk relaxes to a new state after interacting with substructure from its own halo.

Title	Speaker(s)	Date	Talk Type	Info link
Inflation, Variable Speed of Light and BICEP2	John Moffat	2014-06-12	Scientific Series	View details
Wild and tame scalar-tensor black holes	Valerio Faraoni	2014-06-10	Scientific Series	View details
Neutrino Wakes	Ue-Li Pen	2014-06-06	Scientific Series	View details
Some Conceptual Problems in General Relativity and Cosmology	Jayant Narlikar	2014-06-03	Scientific Series	View details
Black holes and Boyle's Law --- the thermodynamics of Einstein's greatest mistake	Brian Dolan	2014-05-20	Scientific Series	View details
What can we learn from modifing gravity ?	Claudia de Rham	2014-05-14	Scientific Series	View details
Random models of inflation	Andrew Liddle	2014-05-13	Scientific Series	View details
Noncommutative geometry and the symmetries of the standard model	Fedele Lizzi	2014-05-06	Scientific Series	View details
The Case for an Alternative Cosmology	Jayant Narlikar	2014-05-06	Scientific Series	View details
Galileon Maps: Inequivalent Coset Constructions for Spacetime Symmetries	Gabirele Trevisan	2014-04-29	Scientific Series	View details
Groups and Clusters of Galaxies: Where Cosmology and Astrophysics Collide	Arif Babul	2014-04-15	Scientific Series	View details
Is the Milky Way Ringing?	Lawrence Widrow	2014-04-08	Scientific Series	View details

Format results