 |
|---|
|
Organization |
||
|---|---|---|
|
What Physics is necessary to describe the Universe? This is the question that guides our programs of Research, Education, and Outreach.
The emergence of precision cosmology in the last decade will continue to have a revolutionary impact on our view of the universe. In theory and observation, Berkeley has a unique combination of people and projects. Our research covers the earliest epochs of the universe to the present. Berkeley has been the pioneer and leader in this area and will continue its leadership role with the Center for Cosmological Physics. The BCCP Program: The Center will focus on understanding the origin and evolution of the universe through a series of programs to define the observations and experiments needed to answer the key questions. That program will bring together experiment, computation, and theory. The Center will also offer a rich program in education and outreach to train future students and engage the public.
The Minimum Straightforward Standard Model of Cosmology (MSSM) is the standard by which all alternate models are compared and provides the framework for the flow down research plan. We have a good idea of what the MSSM is, but there remain significant open questions in this model.
II. Define the major questions of cosmology What is the right physics to describe the universe? Knowing this physics is the key factor that enables us to model and describe the creation and evolution of the universe quantitatively. This question naturally leads researchers in the Center to ask these derivative questions:
1) Did inflation happen? How?
The focus of the Center is asking the fundamental questions on which an accurate, reliable model of the cosmos is based, and then comparing implications against observations. One approach is to take the simplest possible model consistent with the data, and then ask, what if we add to or change the model? Do the observations and theoretical considerations limit the possibilities?
III. Develop a road map to answer questions in cosmology The Open questions lead naturally to:
IV. Develop new research & augment existing research programs The flow down from the MSSM to open questions automatically leads to a systematic exploration of the best observations to determine the necessary physics.
_______________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
Questions: Rosemary Nocera - Multimedia Manager
LBNL Directory Website questions: R.A. Nocera
|
||
