Observational tests of past and present inflation

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Cosmological observations favor a universe with two periods of accelerated expansion in its history. One, known as Inflation, is thought to have happened in the distant past and helps explain the observed large scale features of the universe. The other period of acceleration is ongoing and, according to our current model, requires 70% of the universe density to be in the form of Dark Energy. Both phenomena are still lacking a satisfactory description in terms of a fundamental theory. The proposed research will contribute to developing models of Inflation and Dark Energy and ways of testing them with observations. It will help train students in a rapidly developing field, and further strengthen Canada's position as a leader in fundamental research.