Events at Physics |
Events on Friday, October 4th, 2013
- Theory Seminar (High Energy/Cosmology)
- The Dilaton, the Radion, and Duality
- Time: 2:00 pm
- Place: 5280 Chamberlin Hall
- Speaker: Zackaria Chacko, University of Maryland
- Abstract: I consider scenarios where strong conformal dynamics constitutes the ultraviolet completion of the physics that drives electroweak symmetry breaking. I identify the circumstances under which the dilaton can remain light, and construct the effective theory of the light dilaton in this framework. The form of the dilaton couplings to Standard Model states is determined, and corrections from conformal symmetry violating effects are shown to be under good theoretical control in theories where the dilaton is light. I then show how the same results emerge from extra dimensional warped constructions, with the dilaton identified as the radion, as expected from the AdS/CFT correspondence.
- Physics Department Colloquium
- Cosmic Past, Present, Future: Planck and Beyond
- Time: 3:30 pm
- Place: 2241 Chamberlin Hall (coffee at 4:30 pm)
- Speaker: Benjamin Wandelt, Paris Institute for Astrophysics (IAP) at the Université Pierre et Marie Curie, Sorbonne University
- Abstract: How can we learn what banged at the Big Bang? We use astronomical observations to probe the epoch in the very early Universe where quantum fluctuations imprinted the seeds of cosmic structure. I will summarize the main results of the analysis of the cosmic microwave background temperature anisotropies as seen by the Planck mission data released in March 2013, with special emphasis on the non-Gaussianity analysis which resulted in the highest precision tests to date of physical mechanisms for the origin of cosmic structure. Then I will turn to the future and highlight the challenges and opportunities of the next generation of probes of the large scale structure of the universe aiming to piece together the outstanding puzzles of cosmic past, present, and future - with some glimpses onto the lab bench of innovative approaches that are now emerging.<br>
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- Host: Timbie