Testing fundamental physics with new observations

近几十年来进行的研究已经建立了当前宇宙模型的主要组成部分：暗物质和暗能量，作为主导当前密度的两个组成部分，以及暴胀，作为初始条件的主要机制。这些构建模块主要是现象学概念——提供了对宇宙的经济描述，但仍然缺乏适当的理论理解。随着未来十年观测的新类型和更高的精度，重点正在转移到发展和测试具体的理论建议，以及使用宇宙学作为测试基础物理学的实验室。提出的研究将推进两个主要方向。一个将集中在宇宙加速问题和宇宙尺度上重力的可测试方面。第二个项目将研究早期宇宙中发生的事件，以及在宇宙微波背景（CMB）中寻找这些事件的新方法。

Research carried out over recent decades has established the main building blocks of the current cosmological model: Dark Matter and Dark Energy, as the two components that dominate the present density, and Inflation, as the leading mechanism for the initial conditions. These building blocks are largely phenomenological concepts — providing an economical description of the universe, while still lacking a proper theoretical understanding. With the new types and the higher precision of observations expected over the next decade, the focus is shifting to developing and testing specific theoretical proposals, as well as using Cosmology as a laboratory for testing fundamental physics. The proposed research will advance two main directions. One will focus on the problem of Cosmic Acceleration and testable aspects of gravity on cosmological scales. The second will study events that took place in the early universe and novel ways of looking for them in the cosmic microwave background (CMB).