The cosmology Beyond ΛCDM conference of 2015 will take place at Scandic Holmenkollen Park Hotel in Oslo from January 13th 17:00 to January 17th 14:00.
Beyond ΛCDM Conference Outline
The aim of this conference is to survey the successes and shortcomings of the standard ΛCDM cosmological model, and to decide which theoretical and observational directions beyond ΛCDM will be the most fruitful over the coming decade.
There are three broad themes, corresponding to “pillars of the standard model”:
- The laws of physics: The basic theoretical frameworks that we rely on for building cosmological models. (Includes GR, standard model of particle physics...)
- Foundational assumptions: Basic assumptions that we make when constructing theories and interpreting observations. (Includes homogeneity, isotropy, Big Bang, inflation...)
- Constituents of the Universe: What the Universe is made of, and how it behaves. (Includes dark energy/vacuum energy, dark matter, inflaton, neutrinos...)
In each section, we seek to go beyond the standard model by modifying or replacing these pillars in some way, to better explain observations or construct more appealing theories. For example, modified gravity theories replace GR as a law of physics; models of dark energy add a new fluid to the content of the Universe; and so on.
Program
The conference will be a mixture of overview talks, focused discussion sessions, brief flash talks, and (optionally) skiing, mixing participants from a broad range of sub-fields of cosmology. By the end, we hope to have agreed on a set of clear directions beyond ΛCDM, and fostered broader understanding and collaboration across sub-fields.
The conference lasts for three and a half days, with two sessions per day except Saturday. It will be preceded by a Euclid theory and simulations working group meeting the Monday and Tuesday before. Each session is approximately 3 hours long, with 2h30m of activity scheduled within that time, and punctuated by a tea break. Time between sessions is set aside for lunch and skiing.
Detailed program including the list of speakers can be found here.