University
of
California, Davis
Physics
Department
Colloquium
Dr. Shamit Kachru
Stanford
"Cosmology on the String Theory Landscape"
<>String theory is our leading candidate for a unified theory of
particle physics and gravity. However, it is becoming
increasingly clear that it accomodates an astonishingly
diverse range of possible 4d worlds, all<>arising at
different points in a "landscape" of possible vacuum states. We explain
how this landscape seems to contain valleys with positive
cosmological constant (which could be related to the observed cosmic
acceleration), and how string theory also suggests simple and
distinctively stringy models of early universe inflation.
Refreshements at 3:50 pm, Phy/Geo
Bldg. Entrance
Monday, May
10,
2004
4:10 p.m.,
55 Roessler