The Gordon Godfrey Workshop on Astroparticle Physics is hosted by the University of New South Wales and will be held between Monday 30 November to Friday 4 December, 2020 via zoom.
We ask everyone to register to keep track of numbers, in order to avoid problems with the zoom connection. You can connect via https://unsw.zoom.us/j/87826010618?pwd=OEJuaWpveDFnQ1pWcktEMkpXQW0xZz09 .
The main aim of the workshop is to discuss topics relevant to a proposal for an ARC Centre of Excellence for Cosmic Origins and Extremes. The proposal consists of three themes
- Origin of Extreme Particles
- Origin of Mass and Matter
- Origin of Expansion and Structure
On each day, there will be three invited talks and a discussion session after the talks.
Theme 1: Origin of Extreme Particles
Accelerated particles such as cosmic rays and electrons are an indicator of the Universe’s extreme processes. Topics and challenges within this theme include: extreme particle acceleration processes in the early and the current Universe; how are these processes set up?; What roles do accelerated particles play in galaxy and stellar formation?; What role do they play in the early Universe’s evolution?; Is the Standard Model valid beyond collider energies?; How can we probe beyond-Standard Model physics in astrophysical settings? How do accelerated particles influence the conditions for life?
Theme 2: Origin of Mass and Matter
The origin of particle masses and the origin of matter itself is one of the deepest mysteries of fundamental physics. Solving this problem requires understanding the acquisition of particle mass in the early Universe, and the evolution of baryon, lepton and dark matter abundance over cosmic history. Some of the most important specific questions are: How did particles acquire mass in the early Universe? What is the theoretical mechanism that gives neutrinos mass? Why is there much more visible matter than antimatter in the universe? How were the elements that make up our solar system and us synthesized?
Theme 3: Origin of Expansion and Structure
In its 13.8 billion year history, our observable Universe has grown by a factor of about 10^50. In the course of this enormous expansion, it has experienced temperatures and energies extending far beyond the comfortable realms of physics testable by modern laboratory experiments. The focus of this theme is to investigate the origin of the Universe’s expansion, which happens to also be inextricably linked to the origin of the Universe’s structure: firstly, because the initial seeds for the formation of cosmic structures were generated during cosmic inflation – a period of exponential expansion in the earliest stages of the Universe’s history. And secondly, because our most powerful source of information about the Universe’s composition and history are probes of the cosmic structure, such as the anisotropies of the cosmic microwave background (CMB).
Confirmed speakers:
- Jenni Adams (Canterbury)
- Felix Aharonian (MPIK/DIAS)
- Silvia Celli (Rome)
- Richard Easther (Auckland)
- Julia Harz (TUM)
- Felix Kahlhoefer (Aachen)
- Archil Kobakhidze (Sydney)
- Mark Krumholz (ANU)
- Geraint Lewis (Sydney)
- Christian Reichardt (Melbourne)
- Gavin Rowell (Adelaide)
- Misao Sasaki (IPMU)
- Andrew Taylor (DESY)
- Martin White (Adelaide)
