All empirical evidence relating to our Universe is currently well
explained by a basic model which contains only a few key ingredients: the
background is described by homogeneous and isotropic solutions within
General Relativity, in which there is domination by vacuum energy and cold
dark matter in a roughly flat expanding geometry; the density fluctuations
appear to be nearly scale-invariant, adiabatic and Gaussian; and all of
today's structure grew through gravitational instability. Within this
picture the Universe is described by about 10 numbers, and they are now
mostly known to about the first digit. So what is left to do? How many
digits do we need? Where did these values come from? Are there more
numbers that we haven't thought of yet? Is this model anything like the
Standard Model of Particle Physics?
Cosmology seminar: Douglas Scott: The Standard Cosmological Model
Douglas Scott is a Professor at the Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of British Columbia, Canada visiting us to be first opponent at Sigurd's doctorate dissertation.
Published Aug. 23, 2012 10:35 AM