A Workshop on Supercosmology Aspen Summer 2005 Workshop Proposal

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1 A Workshop on Supercosmology Aspen Summer 2005 Workshop Proposal Description and Justification We are proposing a four week interdisciplinary workshop to bring together scientists from various branches of high energy physics, astrophysics and cosmology working on the topic of supersymmetry in cosmology. Ideas from cosmology, particle physics, and string theory advance one s understanding of physics beyond the standard model. Various cosmological observations, such as WMAP, supernovae project, and astro-particle experiments designed to detect high-energy cosmic rays and neutrinos provide important hints and insights into the early universe cosmology. In the near future, the predictions of low-energy supersymmetry will be tested decisively in the upcoming LHC experiments, as well as in astrophysical observations. Next year will be an opportune time to discuss the role of supersymmetry in cosmology and to explore the connections between cosmology and string theory. Superstring theory, which brings together gravity and gauge interactions, and which makes a bold attempt to explain the most fundamental properties of spacetime, has much to contribute to cosmology. At the focus of modern cosmology is the theory of inflation or its alternatives, which should explain the density perturbations from which the large scale structure has emerged. One hopes that a fundamental and natural solution to this problem will come from string theory. The observed accelerated expansion of the universe, caused by a small cosmological constant or some other form of dark energy, may have its origin in string theory as well. Finally, string theory should explain why the universe ends up in the Standard Model vacuum. Moreover, on the string theory side, there has been a major progress in such longstanding questions as the moduli stabilization. This paves the way to under- 1

2 standing the ground state of string theory and its relevance to the standard model parameters, inflation, and late-time cosmology. Our workshop will promote discussions of a broad range of topics ranging from cosmology and particle phenomenology to string theory. Organizers The organizers are: Katrin Becker Affiliation: Department of Physics, University of Utah Phone: katrin@physics.utah.edu Paolo Gondolo Affiliation: Department of Physics, University of Utah Phone: paolo@physics.utah.edu Anupam Mazumdar Affiliation: Department of Physics, McGill University; after September 1, 2003: NORDITA, Denmark Phone:(+1) , (+45) anupamm@hep.physics.mcgill.ca David Tong 2

3 List of Interested Physicists The following physicists, listed in alphabetical order, have replied positively to our request of participating in case the workshop is approved. Among them, 11% are women, and 23% are from outside North America (China, England, France, Germany, Japan, and Sweden). Richard Arnowitt Tom Banks Pierre Binetruy Cliff Burgess Daniel Chung Edward Copeland Scott Dodelson Manuel Drees Kari Enqvist William Fischler Mary K Gaillard Tony Gherghetta Steve Gubser Shamit Kachru Gordon Kane David Kieda Christopher Kolda Lawrence Krauss David Lyth Takeo Moroi Robert Myers Hans-Peter Nilles Keith Olive Leszek Roszkowski Edward Baltz Melanie Becker Robert Brandenberger Robert Caldwell James Cline Keith Dienes Michael Douglas Joakim Edsjö Jonathan Feng Katherine Freese Graciela Gelmini Steve Giddings Gary Horowitz Marc Kamionkowski Masahiro Kawasaki Lev Kofman Axel Krause Markus Luty Gregory Moore Hitoshi Murayama Pran Nath Mihoko M. Nojiri Joseph Polchinski John Schwarz 3

4 Joseph Silk Michail Shaposhnikov Leonard Susskind Tanmay Vachaspati Eva Silverstein Glenn Starkman Mark Trodden XinMin Zhang Weeks for the Workshop Because of the large number of interested physicists we propose that the length of the workshop should be 4 weeks even though a 3 week workshop could also be considered. The availability of the organizers is the following: Katrin Becker: will be available all the summer after July 10. Could also be available some weeks in June if the proposed workshop is approved for that time. Paolo Gondolo: May 9 August 21 Anupam Mazumdar: will be available all the summer after June. In the table below we show the preferred weeks for the workshop together with other meetings which will take place at the international and national level. Benasque workshop on String Theory { } Strings 2005 } Preferred weeks for the proposed Aspen workshop We propose that the workshop should be organized in the 4 weeks from August 1 to August 29. In the month of July there is a conflict with the Strings 4

5 2005 conference July 11-16, the Benasque String Theory Workshop July 17-29, and the SUSY 2005 Supersymmetry and Unification of Fundamental Interactions conference July Therefore, our workshop cannot be held any time in July. June is possible but is by no means optimal because some of the organizers would not be available in the first half of June. The best time to hold this workshop is in August. Contact Person Available for Consultation Katrin Becker Working to Ensure Diversity Contact Person Anupam Mazumdar Signatures Each organizer has read and approved the submitted proposal. Signed by: Katrin Becker Paolo Gondolo Anupam Mazumdar 5