Fine-Tuning on the Cosmological and the Quantum Scales

Start Date
End Date
A RAS Specialist Discussion Meeting organised by Roger Davies; Joseph Silk; *Khalil Chamcham; Michael Hicks; Davis Sloan; Rafael Batista; Leanne O'Donnell - University of Oxford*Contact: khalil.chamcham@physics.ox.ac.uk The emergence of classical behaviour from a quantum background is crucial to understanding the formation of structures in our universe and deserves serious investigation, but the passage from quantum fluctuations to large scale structure in the universe is poorly understood. Because this problem, like the fine-tuning problems mentioned above, combines questions in small scale quantum physics with questions in large scale gravitational physics, coming to grips with it requires input from both fields. By bringing together classical and quantum cosmology we will shed light on the fundamental issues involved in applying quantum physics to cosmology as well as understanding how probabilistic quantum predications can lead to a well-defined set of cosmological parameters—parameters to which the standard model of cosmology is highly sensitive. We will examine whether the sensitivity of our models on these parameters shows our world—or models—to be fine-tuned, and whether the physics of our local universe blurs this sensitivity, rendering the emergence of structure, and life, even more unlikely in the cosmological context. 

Session I: Rafael Batista, Chair

10.25-10.30am: Welcome talk, David Sloan

10.30-11.10am: Review talk 1, Bernard Carr

11.10-11.45am: Specialised talk 1, Thomas Hertog

11.45am-12.20pm: Specialise talk 2, Francesca Vidotto

12.20-12.30pm: Discussion

12.30-13.30pm: lunch break

 

Session II: David Sloan, Chair

13.30-14.10pm: Review talk 2, Sabine Hossenfelder

14.10-14.45pm: Specialised talk 3, David Marsh

14.45-15.20pm: Specialised talk 4, Joao Magueijo

15.20-15.30pm: Discussion

15.30-16.00pm: Tea at the Geological Society