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SUMMARY:Cosmological Constant\, its Problem(s) and the Solution - T. Padma
 nabhan
DTSTART:20130617T120000Z
DTEND:20130617T130000Z
UID:TALK45681@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:33215
DESCRIPTION:Observations indicate that our universe can be characterised b
 y three distinct phases of evolution: An early inflationary phase possibly
  driven by a scalar field\, a late-time accelerated phase dominated by dar
 k energy and a transient phase in between\, dominated by radiation and mat
 ter. The late-time acceleration can be consistently modeled in terms of a 
 cosmological constant (Λ) provided its value is extremely\ntiny: ΛL_P2 
 ≈ 10-122 where L_P = sqrt(Għ/c3) is the Planck length. A key issue in t
 heoretical physics is to explain the extremely small value of this dimensi
 onless\nparameter. I will describe how this value can be understood in ter
 ms of a new dimensionless parameter (CosMIn) which counts the number of mo
 des inside a Hubble volume that cross the Hubble radius during a specified
  interval of time. CosMIn has the same (‘conserved’) value during well
 -defined intervals in the three phases of cosmic evolution\, and this fact
  helps us to determine the numerical value of the cosmological constant. T
 his approach provides a truly unified picture of cosmic evolution relating
  the early inflationary phase\, the late accelerating phase and certain co
 nsiderations of Planck scale physics. I will also discuss how these ideas 
 are related to a description of cosmic expansion as a quest for holographi
 c equipartition and lead to a novel paradigm to study cosmology.
LOCATION:CMS\, Pav. B\, CTC Common Room (B1.19) [Potter Room]
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