Effective Field Theory in Inflation

Aim & Description

Rapid developments in experimental cosmology have demanded a vast improvement of our theoretical understanding of the inflationary origin of this primordial power spectrum.  A crucial (and fortuitous) realization has been that due to cosmological redshifting, such cosmological observables sensitively depend upon unknown high-energy physics, e.g. quantum gravity.  This makes it essential to understand how the framework of effective field theory can characterize this sensitivity.  We have organized a Lorentz Center Workshop in order to integrate approaches to this problem and work towards a coherent understanding of Effective Field Theory in inflation.  The workshop will be considered a success if a clear understanding emerges of what the implications are of effective field theory with  the explicit goal of how to theoretically interpret observational signals that characterize the sensitivity to unknown high energy physics.

Confirmed invited speakers:

Robert Brandenberger

Cliff Burgess

Ulf Danielsson

Richard Easther

Ben Wandelt

Matias Zaldarriaga