Dark energy phenomenology

by Dr Martin Kunz (University of Geneve)

Thursday 1 Nov 2007, 14:00 → 15:00 Europe/Zurich

TH Theory Conference Room (CERN)

A decade ago, supernova observations revealed that the expansion of the universe is accelerating. Since then, a huge theoretical effort has generated a plethora of models to explain this phenomenon, but none of them offers a compelling answer. In my seminar I will give a short overview over the current zoology and then concentrate on the complementary approach of trying to measure the dark energy properties through cosmological observations. I will discuss the current limits on the equation of state of the dark energy, and talk about what we can expect to learn in the next few years.