RUI: characterizing and optimizing extensions of LCDM

该项目旨在解决宇宙学中的基本问题，特别是我们对宇宙膨胀率和物质聚集的理解差异。这些不一致，被称为“哈勃张力”和“西格玛-8”张力，挑战了目前的标准宇宙学模型。斯沃斯莫尔学院的科学家们将开展新的理论工作，以深入了解这些紧张关系的本质，并提供新的理论解释。作为该项目的一部分，该项目将培养本科生有效的科学传播能力，并使他们参与研究活动。这项工作将利用现有的培训项目，开发科学传播课程，培养研究文化，传播科学过程的知识。这种方法不仅加强了教育，而且促进了科学界的多样性和包容性。总的来说，这个项目有可能促进我们对宇宙学的理解，解决标准模型中的基本矛盾，并在促进有效的科学交流的同时为培养未来的科学家做出贡献。PI将通过研究扩展和替代模型来解决当前标准宇宙学模型（即LCDM）中的矛盾。LCDM的预测与宇宙微波背景（CMB）和物质聚集的测量结果之间的不一致引起了紧张。该项目将确定解决这些张力的模型可用的理论空间，表征它们在CMB和大尺度结构上的特定特征，并进一步探索宇宙标量场模型的非线性动力学。该项目的智力价值在于它对宇宙学研究界为即将到来的观测做好准备的贡献。它将开发一种强大的方法来确定成功解决紧张关系的模型的特性，利用当前和未来的宇宙学数据提供对约束的新见解，并探索宇宙学标量场对各种现象的影响。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This project seeks to address fundamental issues in cosmology, specifically the discrepancies in our understanding of the expansion rate of the universe and the clustering of matter. These inconsistencies, known as the 'Hubble tension' and the ’sigma-8' tension, challenge the current standard cosmological model. Scientists at Swarthmore College will conduct new theoretical work to provide insights into the nature of these tensions and offer new theoretical explanations. As part of this project, the PI will train undergraduate students in effective science communication and involve them in research activities. This effort will leverage existing training programs and develop a science communication curriculum, fostering a culture of research and spreading knowledge of the scientific process. This approach not only enhances education but also promotes diversity and inclusivity in the scientific community. Overall, this project has the potential to advance our understanding of cosmology, address fundamental tensions in the standard model, and contribute to the training of future scientists while promoting effective science communication.The PI will address tensions in the current standard cosmological model, known as LCDM, by investigating extensions and alternative models. The tensions arise from inconsistencies between predictions made by LCDM and measurements of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) and the clustering of matter. The project will determine the theory space available to models addressing these tensions, characterize their specific signatures on the CMB and large-scale structure, and further explore the non-linear dynamics of cosmological scalar field models. The project's intellectual merit lies in its contribution to the cosmological research community's readiness for upcoming observations. It will develop a robust method to determine the properties of models that successfully address the tensions, provide new insights into constraints using current and future cosmological data, and explore the effects of cosmological scalar fields on various phenomena.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.