Princeton University PCTS Workshop

Organizers: Mariangela Lisanti, Anirudh Prabhu, David Shlivko, Olivier Simon

Registration is free but required:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc2L5UEG7CrEpJPO3_fgkf9mkD2hZhWcfiqKxzjvZmGzvn0Iw/viewform

Despite its vast successes, the standard ΛCDM model of cosmology makes a number of simplifying assumptions that may not hold true in reality, such as the constancy of the dark energy density and other “fundamental constants” of nature, the absence of self-interactions in dark matter, and the absence of fields beyond the standard model of particle physics (besides dark matter). This workshop will combine a theoretical exploration of ways in which these assumptions can be lifted with discussions of observational and experimental strategies and prospects for detecting deviations from ΛCDM. Adjacent discussions of the different shortcomings of ΛCDM will offer novel perspectives relative to the more common approach of trying to resolve one cosmological tension at a time. The workshop will conclude with a panel discussion to evaluate the plausibility of various generalizations of ΛCDM.