Title: Was there a Big Bang?

Speaker: Prof. Robert Brandenberger (McGill University, Canada)

Host: Prof. ZHANG Xinmin

Time: 10:00 AM, May 22, 2012

Room: C305, IHEP Main Building

Abstract:  

The current paradigm of early universe cosmology, the inflationary scenario, starts from an initial singularity. Although phenomenologically successful, the inflationary scenario suffers from serious conceptual problems which motivate the search for alternative theories. The speaker will present two alternative pictures - the "matter bounce scenario" and an "emergent universe" model - which are both consistent with current observations on the large-scale structure of the universe, and in both of which there is no initial Big Bang singularity. Then the speaker will discuss ways to differentiate between the theories using upcoming observations.