Novel Directions in Physical Cosmology: Theory versus Observations

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The unprecedented sensitivity and angular resolution of current and upcoming cosmological observations such as WMAP and Planck satellites provide us great opportunities to test cosmological theories. This makes it more urgent than ever that we are prepared with concrete models to infer properties of matter and gravity. A primary objective of this research program is to study the physics of the early universe which determines how our cosmos looks like today. An ideal theory of the early universe would be well-motivated from our understanding of fundamental physics, sets the right initial conditions for later stages of the cosmos without fine tuning, and also provides testable predictions that makes it falsifiable.