$\Lambda$CDM: Much more than we expected, but now less than what we want
Abstract
The CDM cosmological model is remarkable: with just 6 parameters it describes the evolution of the Universe from a very early time when all structures were quantum fluctuations on subatomic scales to the present, and it is consistent with a wealth of high-precision data, both laboratory measurements and astronomical observations. However, the foundation of CDM involves physics beyond the standard model of particle physics: particle dark matter, dark energy and cosmic inflation. Until this `new physics' is clarified, CDM is at best incomplete and at worst a phenomenological construct that accommodates the data. I discuss the path forward, which involves both discovery and disruption, some grand challenges and finally the limits of scientific cosmology.
Keywords
Cite
@article{arxiv.2109.01760,
title = {$\Lambda$CDM: Much more than we expected, but now less than what we want},
author = {Michael S. Turner},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2109.01760},
year = {2021}
}
Comments
Proceedings of the Lemaitre Workshop on Black Holes, Gravitational Waves and Space Time Singularities, published in Foundations of Physics (2018)