The Standard Model of particle physics is a priori a consistent theory valid up to very high scale, perhaps as high as the scale of quantum gravity. Nonetheless, it fails to account for various astrophysical and cosmological measurements and cannot satisfactorily describe our early and late Universe. The aim of this workshop is to study cosmological probes of various scenarios of physics beyond the Standard Model.
The workshop will bring together experts from the theoretical and experimental communities for a joint brainstorming on the status of this research, identify areas for improvements, as well as set new promising directions to be confronted with LHC data.
The topics that will be covered include:
- primordial black hole production from phase transition,
- alternatives to WIMP dark matter,
- sphalerons at the LHC,
- production of topological defects,
- low scale inflation models,
- collider signatures of baryogenesis-inspired models
- axiflavons
- light scalars in cosmology and at colliders/beam-dump experiments
The workshop will take place at the Centro de Ciencias de Benasque Pedro Pascual (http://benasque.org/) located in Benasque (Spain), between May 6 and 12, 2018. Benasque is a beautiful village with a famous ski resort, located in the heart of the Pyrenees, close to the Spanish border with France. In addition to the auditorium, the Center offers desk space, ubiquitous black boards and several meeting areas. To ensure a productive workshop, attendance will be limited to a maximum of 60 participants. In addition, the meeting agenda will be kept light, leaving plenty of time for informal discussion among participants.