Astrophysical Probes of Fundamental Physics

TL;DR

This paper discusses how cosmological observations serve as powerful tools to test and explore fundamental physics, highlighting recent advances and future prospects in using the universe as a laboratory for physics.

Contribution

It emphasizes the importance of developing detailed models and identifying astrophysical tests to probe fundamental physics through cosmological data.

Findings

Identification of key astrophysical tests for fundamental physics

Advances in observational data enable new tests of cosmological models

Open issues in cosmology and particle physics are highlighted

Abstract

The dramatic confrontation between new observations and theories of the early and recent universe makes cosmology one of the most rapidly advancing fields in the physical sciences. The universe is a unique laboratory in which to probe fundamental physics, the rationale being to start from fundamental physics inspired models and explore their consequences in sufficient quantitative detail to be able to identify key astrophysical and cosmological tests of the underlying theory (or developing new tests when appropriate). An unprecedented number of such tests will be possible in the coming years, by exploiting the ever improving observational data. In this spirit I will highlight some open issues in cosmology and particle physics and provide some motivation for this symposium.