Descrizione del progetto
La formazione di galassie in un multiverso con più di una costante cosmologica
Nel 1917, Albert Einstein introdusse la costante cosmologica per controbilanciare l’attrazione gravitazionale che faceva espandere sempre più velocemente l’universo, poiché all’epoca non si era a conoscenza di tale processo di espansione. Tale coefficiente equivale alla densità di energia dello spazio o del vuoto, e la densità di energia oscura è direttamente proporzionale ad esso. I valori previsti della costante cosmologica sono di ordini di grandezza superiori a quelli osservati. Il progetto COSFORM, finanziato dal Consiglio europeo della ricerca, rivisiterà la piccola densità del vuoto osservata nel contesto di un multiverso (cioè più universi creati da un numero infinito di big bang simultanei), studiando come la formazione delle galassie sarebbe influenzata da diverse quantità di energia del vuoto.
Obiettivo
This application proposes a programme of research directed at the outstanding puzzle of modern cosmology: the strangely small non-zero value of the vacuum density. This can be approached in three ways: (1) Evolution; (2) Revision of gravity;(3) Observer selection in the multiverse. The first two of these can be addressed by ongoing and future large galaxy surveys. Part of the research programme is directed at new ways of assuring robust measurements from these surveys of the main diagnostics of interest -- the effective equation of state of dark energy and the growth rate of density fluctuations. This will exploit and extend current work on systematics of galaxy properties as a function of large-scale environment in the cosmic web.
But so far such tests show no deviation from standard gravity and a cosmological constant. This fact drives interest in a multiverse solution, in which different causally disconnected domains may be able to possess different effective cosmological constants. This research will concentrate on the astrophysically interesting question of how galaxy formation would be affected by different levels of vacuum energy. This previously been addressed only by oversimplified analytic arguments, and it is possible that the exponential sensitivity of galaxy formation efficiency to the vacuum density could be very different to the simple estimates. Current claims that the multiverse approach predicts the right level for the cosmological constant would then be disproved. In any case, there is much of interest to be learned regarding the robustness of current theories of galaxy formation by 'stress-testing' them outside the rather restricted parameter regimes normally considered. The result will be a deeper understanding of the assembly of cosmic structure in our universe, as well as indications of how it might have proceeded in other members of an ensemble.
Campo scientifico
- natural sciencesphysical sciencestheoretical physicsparticle physics
- natural sciencesphysical sciencesquantum physics
- natural sciencesphysical sciencesastronomyastrophysicsblack holes
- natural sciencesphysical sciencesastronomyastrophysicsdark matter
- natural sciencesphysical sciencesastronomyphysical cosmologygalaxy evolution
Programma(i)
Argomento(i)
Meccanismo di finanziamento
ERC-ADG - Advanced GrantIstituzione ospitante
EH8 9YL Edinburgh
Regno Unito