| Speaker: | William Coulton (Center for Computational Astrophysics, Flatiron Institute) |
|---|---|
| Title: | Observational signatures of early Universe physics |
| Date (JST): | Tue, Sep 12, 2023, 11:00 - 12:00 |
| Place: | Hybrid |
| Abstract: | Diverse observations have established the standard cosmological model, known as $\Lambda CDM$. Within this model, the Universe began in a hot dense state filled with tiny primordial density fluctuations. These fluctuations grew as they collapsed under gravity and eventually became the seeds of the galaxies throughout the Universe. A key question is where did these initial perturbations come from? The leading model for their creation, known as inflation, posits that these arose from quantum vacuum fluctuations that were stretched to cosmic scales by a period of exponential expansion of the Universe. Many models predict that this process will leave a distinct statistical signature on the primordial density perturbations. In this talk I will discuss how we can use the spatial distribution of galaxies to search for these early Universe signatures. In particular, I will show how novel analysis methods will allow us to robustly disentangle the primordial information from late-time physics. These approaches will shed new light on aspects from the number of fields present during inflation to the strength of interactions to symmetries of inflation. |
| Remarks: | Lecture Hall + Zoom |
