Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Foreword by Professor Andrei Linde
- Preface
- Acknowledgements
- Units and conventions
- Part I Homogeneous isotropic universe
- 1 Kinematics and dynamics of an expanding universe
- 2 Propagation of light and horizons
- 3 The hot universe
- 4 The very early universe
- 5 Inflation I: homogeneous limit
- Part II Inhomogeneous universe
- Bibliography
- Index
4 - The very early universe
from Part I - Homogeneous isotropic universe
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 05 September 2012
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Foreword by Professor Andrei Linde
- Preface
- Acknowledgements
- Units and conventions
- Part I Homogeneous isotropic universe
- 1 Kinematics and dynamics of an expanding universe
- 2 Propagation of light and horizons
- 3 The hot universe
- 4 The very early universe
- 5 Inflation I: homogeneous limit
- Part II Inhomogeneous universe
- Bibliography
- Index
Summary
The laws of particle interactions are well established only below the energy currently reached by accelerators, which is about a few hundred GeV. The next generation of accelerators will allow us to go a couple of orders of magnitude further, but even in the remote future it will be impossible to overcome the existing gap of about seventeen orders of magnitude to reach the Planckian scale. Therefore, the only “laboratories” for testing particle theories at very high energies are the very early universe and astrophysical sources of highly energetic particles. The quality of cosmological information is much worse than that gained from accelerators. However, given the lack of choice, we can still hope to learn essential features of high-energy physics based on cosmological and astrophysical observations.
The particle theory describing interactions below the TeV scale is called the Standard Model and it comprises the unified electroweak theory and quantum chromodynamics, both based on the idea of local gauge symmetry. Attempts to incorporate the electroweak and strong interactions in some larger symmetry group and thus unify them have not yet met with success. Unfortunately, there are too many ways to extend the theory beyond the Standard Model while remaining in agreement with available experimental data. Only further experiments can help us in selecting the “correct theory of nature.”
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- Physical Foundations of Cosmology , pp. 131 - 225Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2005