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Physical Society ColloquiumThe accelerating Universe, a challenge to Fundamental PhysicsRam BrusteinBen Gurion UniversityI review the cosmological tests that are used to map the universe, and the sensitivity of current and future experiments that realize these tests. I then explain the interpretation of the experimental results leading to the current concordance accelerating universe that is composed of about 3/4 unknown dark energy, 1/4 unknown dark matter, and about 1/20 known matter, and highlight its inherent limitations.Explaining the accelerating universe is a key challenge to fundamental physics and forces us to reconsider many established tenets of fundamental physics, such as Einstein's theory of gravity, quantum mechanics and causality. Some, in desperation, propose to resolve this challenge by postulating that our universe has been designed to allow human life to exist: The Anthropic principle.
Friday, September 19th 2003, 15:30
Ernest Rutherford Physics Building, Keys Auditorium (room 112) |