The aim of this conference is to survey the successes and shortcomings of the standard ΛCDM cosmological model, and to decide which theoretical and observational directions beyond ΛCDM will be the most fruitful over the coming decade.
There are three broad themes, corresponding to “pillars of the standard model”:
- The laws of physics: The basic theoretical frameworks that we rely on for building cosmological models. (Includes GR, standard model of particle physics…)
- Foundational assumptions: Basic assumptions that we make when constructing theories and interpreting observations. (Includes homogeneity, isotropy, Big Bang, inflation…)
- Constituents of the Universe: What the Universe is made of, and how it behaves. (Includes dark energy/vacuum energy, dark matter, inflaton, neutrinos…)
In each section, we seek to go beyond the standard model by modifying or replacing these pillars in some way, to better explain observations or construct more appealing theories. For example, modified gravity theories replace GR as a law of physics; models of dark energy add a new fluid to the content of the Universe; and so on.
AstronomicaMens 