Astrophysics

Astrophysics Colloquium History
Date	Room	Speaker	Title
Jun 25 2013 14:00	Room 135	Javier Rodriguez Zaurin (Instituto de Astrofisica de Canarias)	The importance of warm, AGN-driven outflows in rapidly evolving galaxies in the local universe.
ABSTRACT: Although there is increasing speculation that the evolutionrnof galaxy bulges may be regulated by AGN-induced outflows associatedrnwith the growth of the central supermassive black holes, thernimportance of AGN-induced outflows relative to those driven byrnstarbursts has yet to be established observationally. In this contextrnwe have recently presented a study focusing on AGN-induced outflowsrnin a sample of local Seyftert-ULIRGs. Perhaps, our most interestingrnresult is related to the energy that the AGN returns to the galaxy inrnthe form of feedback. We find that the typical mass outflows ratesrnand kinetic powers of the emission line outflows are, in general,rnless energetically significant than the neutral and molecularrnoutflows in ULIRGs and moreover, than those required today in thernmajority of the current hydrodynamic simulations that include AGNrnfeedback. However, the uncertainties in the existing measurements arernlarge, and more accurate estimates of the radii, densities andrnreddening of the outflows are required to put these results on arnfirmer footing. In this context, we are using HST /ACS+STIS andrnVLT-Xhsooter observations to accurately estimate sizes, electronrndensities and reddening to eventually provide the most accuraternestimates of the kinetic powers associated with the ionized gas. Inrnthis talk I will describe in detail the results of this studyrnfocussing on testing the current simulations of hierarchical galaxyrnevolution.
Jun 18 2013 14:00	Room 005	Reinard Beck (University of Bohn)	Science with the Square Kilometre Array
ABSTRACT: The Square Kilometre Array (SKA) is a new-technology radio telescope planned for a dual-site construction between 2017 and 2025 in Southern Africa and Australia. The precursor/pathfinder telescopes ASKAP (Australia), MeerKAT (South Africa) and LOFAR (Europe) are already operating. Five key science projects have been defined for the SKA. With help of pulsars signals, the SKA will constrain theories on gravitation. Radio waves carry signals from gas clouds from the Epoch of Reionization, emitted even before the formation of the first stars. The evolution of galaxies will be traced by observing the HI line out to large redshifts. The structure of protoplanetary systems can be observed from their thermal radio emission. The SKA will also open a new era in the observation of magnetic fields and help to understand their origin. An all-sky survey of Faraday rotation measures towards a dense grid of polarized background is dedicated to measure magnetic fields in distant intervening galaxies and in intergalactic filaments.
Jun 12 2013 13:45	Room 135	Mahavir Sharma ()	Outflows from galaxies and AGN
ABSTRACT: Galactic outflows are multiphase hydrodynamic phenomena observed in various wavelengths, and are thought to be driven by supernovae and AGN activity. They are important as a feedback process for galaxy formation and evolution. In this talk, I will discuss new results from our study of these multiphase outflows from hydrodynamical and cosmological perspective. We find that supernovae driven outflows can escape only from low mass galaxies and their speeds rarely exceed 1000 km/s. On the other hand, AGN momentum injection can drive outflows from massive galaxies with speeds exceeding this limit.\r\nThis result provides a useful diagnostic, and is also supported by observations. We also derive the relation between stellar and halo mass for galaxies undergoing outflows, and compare with observations. \r\nWe also study the interaction of a free wind with the hot halo gas, and quantify the conditions for the escape of free wind from galaxies. \r\nWe find that the extraplanar cold/warm clouds can be formed in these interaction zones via fluid instabilities. We have developed a radiation and ram pressure driven outflow model to study the cold/warm phase of outflows and show different regimes of SFR and galactic mass in which ram and/or radiation pressure dominates. Recently we have also carried out an observational study to explore the possibility that MgII absorbers in quasar sightlines are associated with quasar radiation driven outflows.
Jun 11 2013 14:00	Room 005	Joao Maguejo ()	Dimensional reduction in the sky?
ABSTRACT: I review the popular idea that at high energies space-time becomes 2 dimensional, thereby simplifying the task of quantum gravity. I then present some recent work on the cosmological implications of this phenomenon.
Jun 04 2013 14:00	Room 005	Paolo Natoli (Università degli studi di Ferrara)	Cosmology with Planck
ABSTRACT: I will present highlights from the 2013 Planck cosmology release and discuss their significance. The Planck results widely support the standard LCDM model, whose parameters are measured with increased accuracy. In a few cases, this results in values sensibly different from those earlier accepted. Planck sets new limits on the total neutrino mass and number, as well as on several inflationary parameters, and has measured CMB lensing at 25 sigma. The statistics of the CMB anisotropies has is now constrained to high accuracy. At the same time, Planck has yielded increased evidence for anomalies in the CMB temperature field that many find uneasy to accommodate within the accepted paradigm.
May 28 2013 14:00	Room 005	Adriano Fontana (INAF, Roma)	The earliest CANDELS in the Universe.
ABSTRACT: Understanding the early phase of galaxy evolution is one of the major goal of modern astrophysics. Deep surveys that uses a combination of state-of-the-art instruments to explore the highest redshifts are a fundamental tool in this context. The most recent and ambitious is the Cosmic Assembly and Dark Energy Legacy Survey (CANDELS; PI: S. Faber, Co-PI: H. Ferguson), the largest HST project ever undertaken. CANDELS began in late 2010 and is close to completion. CANDELS represents the natural extension of the previous deep/wide surveys executed with HST and other space telescopes (like GOODS and COSMOS) that have revealed the evolution of galaxies at high redshift. In my talk I will first present the current status of the survey and of the ancillary data that are being taken, with a special emphasis on the Hawk-I VLT followup of the southern CANDELS fields. I will also briefly describe some of the earliest scientific results from the survey, with a special emphasis on the statistics and properties of high redshift galaxies and AGNs: the assembly of statistically useful samples of galaxies at 6 < z < 9, measurement of the morphology and internal color structure of galaxies at z = 2−3, the evolution of massive and quiescent galaxies at high redshift.
May 14 2013 14:00	Room 135	Rosalba Perna (Chicago University)	Title Gamma-Ray Bursts as Tools for Extragalactic Astrophysics and Cosmology
ABSTRACT: Gamma-Ray Bursts (GRBs) are the brightest light sources in thernUniverse, as well as the most distant sources known. Theserncharacteristics, combined with their powerlaw spectra, make them ideal cosmological probes. In this talk I will discuss how GRBs are impacting several areas of extragalactic astrophysics and cosmology. In particular, I will show how they can be used to trace the evolution of the mean density and clumpiness of the interstellar medium with redshift, andthe properties of dust in high-z galaxies. Detection of GRBs at very high redshifts can help set constraints on the small-scale power spectrum of density fluctuations. High-resolution observations of long GRBs allow to shed light on the properties of their massive star progenitors. Statistical studies of short GRBs can improve our understanding of evolutionary binary scenarios.
Apr 30 2013 14:00	SISSA - Room 005	Yannick Mellier (IAP)	Euclid … digging the dark in the Planck Universe …
ABSTRACT: Euclid is an ESA M-class mission that was selected in October 2011. Euclid aims at understanding the origin of the accelerating expansion of the Universe by observing signatures of dark energy, modified gravity and dark matter on the expansion history and the growth rate of cosmic structure. Euclid will use 5 complementary and/or independent cosmological probes: weak lensing, baryon acoustic oscillations, redshift-space distortion, clusters of galaxies and integrated Sachs-Wolf effect. The payload module will be composed of a 1.2 meter telescope that will feed a wide field high image quality optical imager and a field field near-infrared photometer and spectrometer. The instruments will measure the shapes of about 1.5 billion galaxies and redshifts of 50 millions galaxies observed over the whole darkest extragalactic sky (15,000 square degrees). In this review, I will present the mission and its goals and will show how Euclid will be used to pin down the properties and the history of the dark Universe.
Apr 23 2013 14:00	Room 005	Massimo Meneghetti (INAF, Bologna)	New challenges for lensing by galaxy clusters
ABSTRACT: Gravitational lensing is among the most powerful tools for investigating the mass distributions in the universe and constrain the cosmological model. Galaxy clusters are the largest and the most powerful lenses in the universe and both the strong and weak lensing regimes can be used to probe their structure. Additionally, their magnification effect allow to give a deeper view into the high-z, early universe. Ongoing programs like the CLASH MCT and the upcoming Frontier Fields Initiative are or will be targeting galaxy clusters with the Hubble Space Telescope and other ground based facilities o fully exploit these potentialities. These observational campaigns will also be the basis upon which the next generation of cluster lensing surveys, like those which will be performed by Euclid, will be built. After reviewing some recent results, I will discuss with the help of numerical simulations, how we are trying to assess the systematics and improve the methodologies of the lensing analysis in order to be ready for the next challenges to come.
Apr 16 2013 14:00	Room 135	Radek Wojtack (DARK, Copenhagen)	Three selected examples of what we can learn from galaxy kinematics
ABSTRACT: Galaxy kinematics is a powerful means of studying astrophysical objects at all scales, from dwarf spheroidals to galaxy clusters. In my talk, I will present three examples of kinematic analysis aimed at measuring three different astrophysical effects or properties. The first is detection of gravitational redshift caused by gravitational potential of galaxy clusters. This measurement is based on a combined analysis of galaxy velocities in ~7800 clusters selected from SDSS. As the second instance, I will show constraints on the mass-concentration relation of dark matter haloes in the early and late type galaxies, obtained in dynamical analysis of satellite galaxies. Finally, I will present the first present results of an ongoing project of constraining the 3D shapes of galaxy clusters and their velocity ellipsoids.
Apr 09 2013 14:00	Room 005	Roberta Paladini (Caltech)	HII regions: a window on dust physics. - From dust evolution to Anomalous Microwave Emission
ABSTRACT: The depletion of dust grains in the ionized gas is predicted by models and observed both in HII regions and in the diffuse ionized gas. However, the mechanism responsible for this depletion has yet to be clearly identified. After a brief review of the possible depletion scenarios, I will present the results of the analysis of a sample of Galactic evolved HII regions performed by combining IRAC 8 micron, MIPS 24 micron, PACS 70/160 micron and SPIRE 250, 350, 500 micron data. The analysis shows that dust inside HII regions is depleted mostly due to radiation pressure driven drift, as recently proposed by Draine (2011). In addition, we also find that radiation pressure induces a selection of the size of the grains, with the surviving grains being either small Big Grains (a ~ 0.01 micron) or large PAHs (a ~ 0.005 micron). In the last part of my talk, I will discuss implications of studies of HII regions for Anomalous Microwave Emission (AME), a recently discovered emission mechanism commonly attributed to spinning dust.
Mar 26 2013 14:00	Room 135	Luigi Piro (INAF, Rome)	Gamma-Ray Bursts: status and perspecitives
ABSTRACT: I will review the observational body of GRB observations, discussing the implications on theoretical scenario. Particular emphasis will be given to high energy observations, and the importance of GRB as probes of small and large scale structures from high redshift to the closer Universe. I will finally discuss the panorama of future observational perspectives.
Mar 19 2013 14:00	Room 135	Anna Bonaldi (Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics, University of Manchester)	Planck intermediate results. XII: Diffuse Galactic components in the Gould Belt System
ABSTRACT: We perform an analysis of the diffuse low-frequency Galactic components in the Southern part of the Gould Belt system (Galactic longitude 130-230 degrees, Galactic latitude -15 - -10 degrees). Strong UV flux coming from the Gould Belt super-association is responsible for bright diffuse foregrounds that we observe from our position inside the system and that can help us improve our knowledge of the Galactic emission. Free-free emission and anomalous microwave emission (AME) are the dominant components at low frequencies ( < 40 GHz), while synchrotron emission is very smooth and faint. We separate diffuse free-free emission and AME from synchrotron emission and thermal dust emission by using Planck data, complemented by ancillary data, using the ``Correlated Component Analysis'' (CCA) component separation method and we compare with the results of cross-correlation of foreground templates with the frequency maps. We estimate the electron temperature Te from Halpha and free-free emission using two methods (temperature-temperature plot and cross-correlation) and we consistently obtain Te ranging from 7000 to 2000 K for a dust absorption fraction of 0-0.5. We estimate the frequency spectrum of the diffuse AME and we recover a peak frequency (in flux density units) of 25.5 +- 1.5 GHz. We verify the reliability of this result with realistic simulations that include the presence of biases in the spectral model for the AME and in the free-free template. By combining physical models for vibrational and rotational dust emission and adding the constraints from the thermal dust spectrum from Planck and IRAS we are able to get a good description of the frequency spectrum of the AME for plausible values of the local density and radiation field.
Mar 05 2013 14:00	Room 128	Eiichiro Komatsu (Max Planck Institute for Astrophysics)	The Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP) Observations: The Final Results
ABSTRACT: he Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB), the fossil light of the Big Bang, is the oldest light that one can ever hope to observe in our Universe. The CMB provides us with a direct image of the Universe when it was still an "infant" - 380,000 years old. The Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP) has mapped the microwave sky in five frequency bands for nine years since 2001, creating a full-sky CMB map with the unprecedented precision. The WMAP data have enabled us to obtain a wealth of cosmological information, such as the composition, age, geometry, and history of the Universe. Yet, can we go further and learn about the primordial universe, when it was much younger than 380,000 years old, perhaps as young as a tiny fraction of a second? If so, this gives us a hope to test competing theories about the origin of the Universe at ultra high energies. In this talk, we will review the physics of CMB and the WMAP mission, present the basic results from nine years of observations, and discuss their cosmological implications.
Feb 27 2013 14:30	SISSA - Aula Magna	Frans Prestorius (Princeton University)	SISSA Colloquium - Black holes: probes of the cosmos and fundamental physics
ABSTRACT: Frans Pretorius, Professor of Physics at Princeton University, will talk about black holes, one of the most fascinating predictions of Einstein's theory of general relativity.
Feb 13 2013 11:30	Room 005	Richard Davies (Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics)	Does star formation play a decisive role in feeding AGN?
ABSTRACT: While the existence of a starburst-AGN connection is undisputed, there is no consensus about what that really means or if any such connection is causal. In this talk, I will begin by looking at whether large scales are important in fuelling AGN. I will then turn to recent high resolution observations that are able to probe the central tens of parsecs where star formation might influence AGN activity. I show that both the starburst phase and the physical state of the dense molecular gas imply that stellar feedback plays a critical role in first hindering and then helping accretion. I argue that AGN are associated with young post-starbursts, and that it is only after the early turbulent phases of a starburst that gas from slow stellar winds can accrete efficiently to smaller scales. And I outline other contexts where similar processes appear to be at work. I finish by showing how the properties of the obscuring torus are directly coupled to this star formation, and that we should be thinking of the torus as a complex dynamical entity.
Feb 05 2013 14:00	Room 005	Gianfranco Gentile (University of Ghent)	MOND - Modified Newtonian Dynamics: an observational perspective
ABSTRACT: Astronomical observations at most scales point towards the presence of a mass discrepancy, which can (in principle) be interpreted as the presence of additional mass (dark matter) or as our failure to understand gravity at low gravitational accelerations. One of the most successful theories of modified gravity is MOND, Modified Newtonian Dynamics. I will review the phenomenological properties of MOND (focussing on the galaxy scale), from the motivation to explain observations to the current challenges faced by MOND. I will also discuss the pros and cons of MOND and current dark matter theories.
Jan 29 2013 15:00	Room 005	Andrea Possenti (Cagliari Observatory)	Detecting gravitational waves from cosmological distances
ABSTRACT: Radio pulsars are neutron stars emitting collimated beams of radio waves, observed as pulses, once per neutron star rotation. Due to evolutionary reasons and intrinsic properties, some pulsars behave as highly stable clocks and the measurement of the times of arrival of their pulses can provide an accurate determination of their positional, kinematic, spin and orbital parameters, as well as indications on the properties of their space-time environment. This provides the observational basis for using the pulsars as tools for testing the gravity theories in a strong field regime. The talk will describe the theoretical and experimental methodology for performing some of these tests, focusing on the case of the Pulsar Timing Array(s), which are the most promising approach for a direct detection of the gravitational waves in the nanoHz frequency range, likely produced by (an ensemble or single) sources located at cosmological distances.
Jan 15 2013 14:00	Room 005	Ben Granett (INAF, Brera)	Observing the growth of structure through the Integrated Sachs-Wolfe effect
ABSTRACT: Large-scale structures at low redshift leave an imprint on the cosmic microwave background radiation through the integrated Sachs-Wolfe effect. The phenomenon depends on the time evolution of the gravitational potential on extremely large scales and gives a unique measure of the cosmic acceleration due to dark energy. I will review cross-correlation measurements as well as direct methods using matched filter and stacking techniques. Recent results with WISE infrared-selected galaxies will be presented. Over the past 15 years, measurements of the effect have reached the 4sigma confidence level with survey volume being the most limiting factor. Future galaxy surveys co-analysed with Planck maps promise to increase the measurement precision and bring better control over systematic errors
Jan 09 2013 14:00	Room 135	Franco Vazza (Hamburg Observatory and INAF-Istituto di Radio Astronomia, Bologna)	Shocks, turbulence and non-thermal phenomena in galaxy clusters: a view from cosmological grid simulation
ABSTRACT: Radio observations of galaxy clusters in a merging state show evidence of relativistic electrons and magnetic fields spread on Mpc scales. The source of acceleration of such electrons is still debated. I will discuss possible source of acceleration connected to the dynamics of the intra cluster medium, and I will present recent theoretical advancements achieved using high resolution cosmological simulations using a grid approach. Fermi I and II mechanisms seems to be the key ingredients to explain such phenomena, yet the efficiency of the acceleration of cosmic ray electrons during mergers is unknown, and the present non-detection of clusters in gamma rays poses strong limitations to the acceleration of cosmic ray protons in the same processes.
Nov 27 2012 16:00	Room 005	Dave Clements (Imperial College)	Herschel, Planck and the High Redshift Universe
ABSTRACT: The far-IR/submm band from 200 to 500 microns has been largely unexplored until very recently. Since their launch, in May 2009, Herschel and Planck have been exploring this waveband and providing new insights into a wide range of astrophysics. This talk focuses on the high redshift (z>1) universe and will discuss gravitational lenses, galaxy clusters and the search for the highest redshift dusty galaxies. It is still early days for the exploitation and followup of Herschel and Planck surveys, but it is already clear that these missions will have a major impact on our understanding of dusty galaxies at high redshift.
Nov 20 2012 14:00	Room 005	Lucio Mayer (University of Zurich, and ETH Zurich)	The Eris disk galaxy formation simulations: realistic spiral galaxies with pseudobulges and effects of baryons on the dark halo
ABSTRACT: I will review the results of the Eris suite of hydrodynamical cosmological simulations, which succeed in forming realistic late-type spiral galaxies within the LCDM cosmology owing to a combination of unprecedemted resolution and a high density threshold for star formation micmicking how star formation occurs in clumpy molecular gas. I will show that the bulge of such galaxies is an old pseudobulge such as that of our own Milky Way and describe its formation path that is neither due to mergers nor to conventional secular evolution. I will also discuss results on the effect of the baryons on the dark matter halo, including the origin of a relative offset between the density peak of the two components that might explain recent findings by the Fermi satellite.
Nov 06 2012 16:00	Room 005	Carlotta Gruppioni (INAF, Osservatorio di Bologna)	The Herschel PEP+HerMES Luminosity Function: Probing the evolution of IR galaxies up to z~4
ABSTRACT: We exploit the deep and extended far-infrared data-sets of the Herschel GTO PACS Evolutionary Probe (PEP) Survey, in combination with the Herschel Multi-tiered Extragalactic Survey (HerMES) data at 250, 350 and 500 micron, to derive the evolution of the total IR luminosity functions (LFs) of galaxies and AGN from z=0 to z~4. We detect very strong luminosity evolution for the total IR LF, with L_IR~(1+z)^3.55 up to z~2, and ~(1+z)^1.62 z~2 and z~4, combined with a density evolution ~(1+z)^(-0.57) up to z~1 and ~(1+z)^(-3.93) between z~1 and z~4. In agreement with previous findings, the IR luminosity density (LD) increases steeply to z~1, then flattens between z~1 and z~2, to decrease at z>2. Galaxies occupying the well established SFR-stellar mass main sequence (MS) are found to dominate both the total IR LF and luminosity density at all redshifts, with the contribution from off-MS sources (>0.6 dex above MS) being nearly constant (~20% of the total LD) and showing no significant signs of increase with increasing z over the whole 0.82) LF. A two-fold evolutionary scheme for IR galaxies is suggested: on the one hand, the AGN-dominated population (both type 1 and 2), evolving in a similar way, is detected in far-IR surveys during an active starburst phase (possibly triggered by a major merging event also feeding the SMBH), preceding a red, spheroidal phase. On the other hand, the low-luminosity AGN, or LLAGN, have various properties that suggest they are good candidates for systems in a (long-lasting, i.e. few 10^9 yrs) transition phase between gas-rich starbursts and steady spiral galaxies.
Oct 30 2012 16:00	Room 005	Gigi Guzzo (INAF, Osservatorio di Brera)	Galaxy clustering: an increasingly stringent probe of cosmology
ABSTRACT: I will review recent observational and modelling work to extract cosmological information from galaxy redshift surveys. Redshift surveys allow us to measure both the expansion history H(z) and growth rate of structure f(z), which can be combined to disentangle the origin of cosmic acceleration, distinguishing dark energy from modified gravity. I will concentrate in particular on the use of redshift-space distortions to measure f(z), presenting early results from the ongoing VIPERS project at ESO. An important issue in the context of "precision cosmology" concerns the accuracy of current modeling in terms of systematic effects. I will show recent work on this issue and discuss future prospects, also in view of the recently funded ERC project "DARKLIGHT".
Oct 23 2012 16:00	Room 005	Alexei D. Beklemishev (Novosibirsk State University and Budker Institute of Nuclear Physics)	Magnetic mirrors; history, results and fusion prospects
ABSTRACT: The talk reviews milestones of 60-year long development of magnetic mirrors for fusion, relevance of mirrors for current plasma and materials science, and their prospects as neutron sources, drivers for fission-fusion hybrids, or pure-fusion reactors. The evolution of open traps brought them from simple solenoids to highly sophisticated and huge tandem mirrors with quadrupole magnetic stabilizers. They lost competition to tokamaks and are close to extinction. A side branch of open traps went for engineering and physics simplicity inherent in axially symmetric mirrors. Since simplicity means lower cost of construction and servicing, lower engineering and materials demands, such traps might regain an edge over tokamaks, which grew huge and expensive.\r\nThe emphasis is made on physics and development of axially symmetric magnetic mirrors at the Budker Institute of Nuclear Physics in Novosibirsk that currently represent the frontline of mirror research. In particular, we discuss experimental results from the multiple-mirror trap GOL-3 [1] and the gas-dynamic trap GDT [2], and their relevance to fusion. The next step in this line of research is the GDMT program that will combine the GDT-style central mirror with multiple-mirror end plugs in a modular superconducting device.\r\n\r\n[1] A.Burdakov, A.Ivanov, E.Kruglyakov, Plasma Phys. Control. Fusion, 52 (2010) 124026.\r\n[2] A. Ivanov, Fusion Science and Technology. 59 No.1t (2011) 17.
Oct 18 2012 16:00	Room 005	Vitor Cardoso (CENTRA, IST, Lisbon)	Black holes: alive, kicking and exploding
ABSTRACT: Black holes are the elementary particles of gravity, and play a crucial role in fundamental physics, astrophysics, high energy physics and particle physics. In the last 5 years, our ability to understand strongly nonlinear phenomena involving black holes has opened up a new Golden Age in the field. From Cosmic Censorship tests to superkicks and black hole bombs, the possibilities are endless. I will describe some of the current activity in the field along with prospects for the future.
Oct 09 2012 16:00	Room 005	Pierre Salati (Laboratoire d'Annecy-le-Vieux de Physique Théorique)	Dark matter Indirect Detection and the Cosmic Ray Anomalies
ABSTRACT: A century after their discovery by Victor Hess, cosmic rays are still an exciting field of research, in particular because they could provide indirect but crucial informations on the astronomical dark matter. The nature of this essential component of the universe is still unknown. Weakly interacting and massive particles (WIMP) have been suggested as plausible candidates. Should these putative species exist, they would continuously annihilate within the Milky Way halo, yielding rare antimatter particles -- antiprotons and positrons -- which would distort the astrophysical backgrounds.The discovery in 2008 of a cosmic ray lepton anomaly has raised the tremendous hope that WIMPs were not just a fantasy. Alas, the dust has now settled down. Local pulsars are suggested as the probable source of the positron excess. Modeling correctly the galactic cosmic radiation turns out to be a crucial ingredient in the quest for dark matter. I will present how it is currently modeled. I will discuss various indirect signatures for WIMPs and will pay particular attention to the astrophysical backgrounds inside which the various signals are hidden. I will finally explain why our current description of cosmic ray propagation -- on which public codes like GALPROP, DRAGON or USINE are built -- needs to be revised and, as a concluding remark, will discuss an explanation of the proton and helium anomalies observed by PAMELA et CREAM.
Oct 02 2012 16:00	Room 005	Levon Pogosian (Simon Fraser University)	Fables of reconstruction: examining the evidence for dynamical dark energy
ABSTRACT: I will describe a new non-parametric Bayesian method for reconstructing the evolution history of the dark energy equation of state, based on applying a correlated prior for w(z). When applied to the latest supernova, CMB, redshift space distortion and the baryonic acoustic oscillation measurements, it mildly favors a dynamical dark energy model which evolves across w=-1. However, an examination of the Bayesian evidences shows little preference between the cosmological constant model and the dynamical model for a range of correlated prior choices. On the other hand, we show that the best fit models for current data will be well distinguished from the LCDM model by future observations.
Jul 03 2012 16:00	Room 005	Ted Jacobson (University of Maryland)	Induced aether action from UV Lorentz violations
ABSTRACT: Lorentz violating (LV) modifications of Einstein gravity have been explored as possible avatars of UV LV, with arbitrary coupling parameters. I will discuss models in which these parameters can be computed from UV LV physics. The models are motivated by the notion of cosmological UV mode creation, but could also arise from other forms of UV LV physics.
Jun 26 2012 16:00	Room 005	Fabrizio Tamburini (University of Padova)	Einstein gets a twist…The orbital angular momentum of light in Astronomy and Astrophysics
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May 29 2012 16:00	Room 005	Giulia Gubitosi (APC Paris)	Testing Lorentz symmetries with CMB polarization data
ABSTRACT: Lorentz symmetry violations are expected to emerge when spacetime is probed on very short distance scales, of the order of the Planck length ~10^(-35) m and can produce anomalous light propagation. CMB photons provide a way to test spacetime on these very small scales thanks to their long propagation time, that amplifies deviations from standard light behavior. The kind of anomalies we are interested in would show up as a birefringent behavior of light, which can possibly depend on the propagation direction if space isotropy is also violated. We present the current constraints on isotropic birefringence and show that polarization data gathered by the PLANCK satellite will reach the sensitivity required to test spacetime symmetries up to the Planck-scale. Moreover, we show that the availability of an almost full-sky coverage can allow to perform also accurate tests on non-isotropic birefringence effects.
May 22 2012 16:00	Room 005	Paolo Pani (CENTRA, Lisbon)	Perturbations of slowly rotating black holes
ABSTRACT: We present a general method to study linear perturbations of slowly rotating black holes which is valid for any perturbation field, and particularly advantageous when the field equations are not separable. As an illustration of the method we investigate massive vector (Proca) perturbations in the Kerr metric, which do not appear to be separable in the standard Teukolsky formalism.We discuss two important first-order effects induced by rotation: a Zeeman-like shift of nonaxisymmetric quasinormal modes and bound states with different azimuthal number $m$, and the coupling between axial and polar modes with different multipolar index $\ell$. We discuss evidence that Proca fields exhibit a significantly stronger superradiant instability than massive scalar fields. We estimate that observations of spinning astrophysical black holes should provide the tightest known upper limits on the mass of the photon. We conclude by discussing further applications of the method and its extension to second order.
May 15 2012 16:00	Room 005	Enrico Barausse (University of Guelph)	The evolution of the spins of massive black holes
ABSTRACT: After reviewing the importance of black-hole spins in general relativity, astrophysics and cosmology, I will present a semianalytical model following the coevolution of the spins of massive black holes and their host galaxies. Besides showing results for the spin evolution of massive black holes as a function of redshift, I will discuss the implications of my model for future space-based gravitational-wave detectors.
May 08 2012 16:00	Room 005	Valerio Faraoni (Bishop's University)	Cosmological wormholes
ABSTRACT: Exact solutions of general relativity describing a wormhole embedded in a cosmological background (other than the static de Sitter one) are not hard to construct, although they are almost unknown in the literature. Three classes of such solutions will be introduced: the first two describe thin shell wormholes endowed with exotic energy and embedded in a universe approaching the Big Rip. The last class describes a Lemaitre-Tolman-Bondi thin shell wormhole embedded in a dust-dominated background. Contrary to expectations, this wormhole shell hosts matter satisfying the weak, strong, and null energy conditions, with the implication that maybe time travel assisted by dynamical wormholes does not require exotic energy after all.
Apr 24 2012 16:00	Room 005	Nigel Mitchell (University of Vienna)	A Multi-Phase Chemodynamic ISM Model in FLASH using Stellar Hydrodynamics
ABSTRACT: We present our motivation for the development of a true multi-phase ISM model in the FLASH code which can split the cold compact molecular component from the hot tenuous gas phase of an otherwise unresolved ISM. In particular we highlight how single phase ISM models in both SPH and AMR codes produce different results, highlighting the need for more sophisticated and robust models for the ISM. In FLASH, instead of using the standard particle-mesh approach for the near collisionless molecular clouds and the stellar particles, we choose to implement a brand new stellar hydrodynamic solver which allows us to model collisionless matter as a fluid on the mesh. We present our early results from the model and outline the many advantages of such a technique.
Apr 03 2012 16:00	Room 005	Angela di Virgilio (INFN PISA)	An Array of Ring Lasers to measure the Frame Dragging of the Earth
ABSTRACT: Ringlasers are top sensitivity and accuracy instruments, able to measure angular velocity. G, a large ring installed in the laser ranging station of Wettzell measures the Earth angular velocity with an accuracy not far from 1 part in 109. Such accuracy is so high that in the near future, general relativity effects due to the curvature of space-time around the Earth (de Sitter effect) and to the rotation of the planet (dragging of the inertial frames or Lense-Thirring effect) can be measured. It is based on the comparison between the IERS value of the Earth rotation vector and the corresponding measurements obtained by a tri-axial laser detector of rotation. The experimental apparatus is an array of several rings located inside an underground facility, in our design six large ring-lasers along three orthogonal axes, following the shape of an octahedron. In about two years of data taking, the 1% sensitivity required for the measurement of the Lense-Thirring drag can be reached with square rings of 6 m side, assuming a shot noise limited sensitivity (formula). This apparatus could be installed inside the INFN GranSasso National Laboratory, the first drawings of the experimental apparatus will be discussed.
Mar 27 2012 16:00	Room 128	Hector De Vega (LPTHE, Paris VI)	Warm Dark Matter and Galaxy Structure in the Standard model of the Universe
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Mar 06 2012 16:00	SISSA, room 005	Ravi Sheth (ICTP)	Photometric redshift surveys: Drinking tea with a fork?
ABSTRACT: The next generation of sky surveys will provide photometric rather thans pectroscopic redshifts. Considerable effort has gone into using these noisy distance estimates to place sharp constraints on cosmological parameters. I will describe methods which turn such surveys into effective constraints on models of galaxy formation as well. Along the way I will discuss progress and open questions in generating the accurate mock galaxy catalogs which will play an important role in this era of precision astrophysics.
Feb 28 2012 16:00	SISSA, Room 005	Susana Planelles (OATS/INAF)	Exploring gravitational feedback processes in a cosmological context
ABSTRACT: Present-day hydrodynamics/N-body simulations still present important discrepancies with the observations, especially in the inner regions of massive galaxy clusters. These discrepancies have motivated the idea that, besides gravity and adiabatic gas dynamics, non-gravitational processes related with the baryonic component of the Universe need to be included in simulations. Nevertheless, within this context, it is also crucial to properly describe the different gravitational processes inherent to the hierarchical formation of cosmic structures. In this contribution, making use of an Eulerian cosmological code and a grid-based halo finder, we will analyse the role played by galaxy cluster mergers, as well as by the cosmological shock waves developed during these events, as sources of feedback and reheating of the ICM in a full cosmological context. We will pay especial attention to discuss the role of these merger events on the existence of cool cores in galaxy clusters, as well as in the scaling relations.
Feb 21 2012 16:00	SISSA room 005	Marcel Clemens (OAPD)	Some Results from the Herschel Virgo Cluster Survey (HeViCS)
ABSTRACT: I will give a broad overview of some of the more interesting results that have so far come out of a Herschel survey of the Virgo cluster. The survey covered a continuous area of 84 square degrees in 5 bands from 100-500 micron.
Jan 31 2012 16:00	Room 005	Lorenzo Sironi (Princeton University)	Particle Acceleration in Relativistic Magnetized Astrophysical Shocks
ABSTRACT: The termination shock of pulsar winds and internal shocks in gamma-ray bursts and AGN jets are likely to be seeded with a substantial magnetic field (ratio "sigma" of magnetic to kinetic energy density > few percent), oriented mostly perpendicular to the shock normal. By means of particle-in-cell simulations, we study how the efficiency of particle acceleration in relativistic shocks depends on the magnetization of the pre-shock flow and the geometry of the upstream field. We study both uniform and alternating pre-shock fields. For uniform fields, we find that if sigma>0.001 only nearly-parallel shocks lead to particle acceleration. For quasi-perpendicular shocks, the self-generated turbulence is not strong enough to give appreciable acceleration of particles. In contrast, if the pre-shock medium consists of stripes of alternating field and sigma>>1, dissipation of the stripes when compressed at the shock front can transfer energy from the field to the particles, resulting in nonthermal acceleration. Our findings place important constraints on the models of non-thermal radiation from Pulsar Wind Nebulae, gamma-ray bursts and AGN jets that invoke particle acceleration in relativistic magnetized shocks.
Jan 10 2012 16:00	Room 005	Pierluigi Belli (Roma "Tor Vergata")	Signals from the Dark Universe: the annual modulation results by DAMA/LIBRA
ABSTRACT: The DAMA/LIBRA set-up (about 250 kg highly radiopure NaI(Tl)) is running at the Gran Sasso National Laboratory of the INFN. The results of six annual cycles exploiting the model independent annual modulation signature for dark natter particles in the galactic halo will be discussed (exposure of 0.87 ton x yr). The cumulative exposure with those previously released by the former DAMA/NaI is 1.17 ton × yr, corresponding to 13 annual cycles. The confidence level for the observed effect is 8.9 sigma and the data satisfy all the many requirements of the dark matter annual modulation signature. In particular, the measured phase and the measured period are well in agreement with those expected for the dark matter particles. Presently DAMA/LIBRA is in data taking in the new configuration.Results, implications and experimental perspectives will be summarized.
Dec 13 2011 16:00	SISSA 005	Jean-Claude Waizmann (INAF - Osservatorio Astronomico di Bologna )	How pink are pink elephants? - An application of extreme value statistics to the most massive galaxy clusters at low and high redshift
ABSTRACT: In this talk I present an application of extreme value statistics to the most massive galaxy clusters at high and low redshifts. I will talk about the distribution functions of the most massive galaxy clusters in a given survey area and I will discuss the effects that shall be taken into account for a statistical analysis. In the second part of my talk, I will also analyze the idea to use the cumulative distribution function of the most massive haloes as a cosmological probe, discussing its advantages and drawbacks.
Dec 01 2011 16:00	SISSA, Room 005	Kostas Kokkotas (Tuebingen University and University of Thessaloniki)	Neutron Stars: Rotational and Magnetic Field Instabilities
ABSTRACT: We will present recent results from the Tuebingen group related to rotational instabilities of neutron stars, their importance to gravitational wave detection and to asteroseismology. In addition, we will discuss the results of our study for the magnetic field instabilities and their relation to emission of gravitational waves from magnetars.
Nov 22 2011 16:00	SISSA, Room 005	Paolo Molaro (OATS)	The star that should not exist
ABSTRACT: Metal-poor stars are records of the chemical composition of the young Galaxy or even relics of pre-galactic phases. They are quite rare objects and provide information on the chemical enrichment and on the type of the first stellar objects. Not clear how metal poor they can be and current theories predict the existence of a threshold in metallicity to form low mass stars that could be observed today. In the last years we developed an automatic procedure to select metal poor candidates from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. Some of these were observed during the GTO of the spectrograph X-Shooter and their low metallicity confirmed. We also succeeded in finding out a record metal-poor star with a metallicity of [Fe,C,N/H] ~ -5.0 (Caffau et al Nature 477, Sept 2011). Quite surprisingly the star does not show evidence of Li. Some of the implications of this discovery will be briefly discussed.
Nov 08 2011 16:00	SISSA, Room 005	Chris Byrnes (CERN)	Maximizing the scientific return from cosmic non-Gaussianity
ABSTRACT: The model of local non-Gaussianity, parameterised by the constant non-linearity parameter fNL, is an extremely popular description of non-Gaussianity. However, a mild scale-dependence of fNL is natural. This scale dependence is a new observable, potentially detectable with the Planck satellite, which helps to further discriminate between models of inflation. It is sensitive to properties of the early universe which are not probed by the standard observables. In a complementary way, the trispectrum also contains important information about non-Gaussianity which the bispectrum does not capture. Using simple models, I will demonstrate how scale-dependence and the trispectrum provide a powerful probe of the early universe.
Oct 25 2011 16:00	SISSA, Room 005	Nils Andersson (University of Southampton)	Neutron stars as cosmic laboratories
ABSTRACT: Astrophysical observations have unveiled a veritable menagerie of neutron stars, associated with an exciting range of phenomena. Making sense of these observations, and extracting as much physics from them as possible, is an immense challenge. The ultimate aim is to understand the state of matter under the extreme conditions that prevail in these systems, but we are still quite far from reaching this target. The main aim of this talk is to introduce the main issues involved, discuss the constraints imposed by current observations (both using electromagnetic signals and gravitational waves) and highlight some of the key questions for the future.
Oct 11 2011 16:00	SISSA, room 005	Roberto Maiolino (INAF-OAR, Rome)	ALMA Prospects
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Jun 07 2011 16:00	SISSA, room 005	Sushan Konar (Harish-Chandra Research Institute, Allahabad, India)	Millisecond Pulsars in Globular Clusters
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Apr 26 2011 16:00	SISSA, room 005	Brian Reville (University of Oxford, UK)	Fermi acceleration at relativistic shocks and its radiative signatures
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Apr 12 2011 16:00	SISSA, room 005	Andrew King (University of Leicester, UK)	Supermassive Black Holes in Galaxy Centres
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Mar 22 2011 16:00	SISSA, room 005	Pawel Haensel (Nicolaus Copernicus Astronomical Center, Warsaw, Poland)	Two solar mass pulsar and hyperons in neutron star cores
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Mar 15 2011 16:00	SISSA, room 005	Mattia Negrello (The Open University, Milton Keynes, UK)	Looking for strongly-lensed galaxies in the sub-mm with the Herschel Space Observatory
ABSTRACT: It was first argued more than 10 years ago that wide-area surveys at submillimeter (and millimeter) wavelengths can potentially provide large (unbiased) samples of strongly lensed galaxies by taking advantage of a high magnification bias acting on the steep submillimeter source counts. However, it was not possible to test this theory before the advent of the Herschel Space Observatory, as prior sub-mm surveys were limited to small areas of the sky. The Herschel Astrophysical Terahertz Large Area Survey (H-ATLAS) represents the largest survey currently undertaken by Herschel and one of the scientific goals of H-ATLAS is the detection of a large number of gravitational lenses. I will describe the selection of the first gravitational lens candidates within the 14 square degrees field observed as part of the H-ATLAS during the Herschel Science Demonstration Phase. I will also discuss the properties of these objects and the campaign of follow-up observations used to confirm their gravitational lensing nature.
Mar 01 2011 16:00	SISSA, room 005	Jarrett Johnson (Max-Planck-Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics, Munich, Germany)	Black Hole Formation in the Early Universe
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Nov 30 2010 16:00	SISSA, room 135	Lara Nava (SISSA)	Gamma-Ray Bursts as standard candles: is it possible?
ABSTRACT: Thanks to their huge luminosity, Gamma-Ray Bursts (GRBs) are detectable up to very high redshift (z=8.2 the present record holder). This characteristic makes GRBs very appealing for cosmological purposes, in particular, for the possibility to put some independent constraints on cosmological parameters. However, as for Supernovae Type Ia, GRBs are not characterised by a unique value of their luminosity/energetics. To overcome this problem, it has been proposed to use several empirical correlations between the energy/power of GRBs and their peak energy. Also these solutions, however, have their problems, such as the lack of low redshift calibrators, the large dispersion of several of these correlations, the lack of their theoretical interpretation and the still small number of objects. In this talk I will review the methods proposed to use GRBs as standard candles. I will discuss the advantages and the limitations of the correlations used to standardize GRB energetics, the present status and the future perspectives of constraining the cosmological parameters through GRBs.
Nov 16 2010 16:00	SISSA, room 005	Silke Weinfurtner (SISSA)	Measurement of stimulated Hawking emission in an analogue system
ABSTRACT: There is a mathematical analogy between the propagation of fields in a general relativistic space-time and long (shallow water) surface waves on moving water. Hawking argued that black holes emit thermal radiation via a quantum spontaneous emission. Similar arguments predict the same effect near wave horizons in fluid flow. By placing a streamlined obstacle into an open channel flow we create a region of high velocity over the obstacle that can include wave horizons. Long waves propagating upstream towards this region are blocked and converted into short (deep water) waves. This is the analogue of the stimulated emission by a white hole (the time inverse of a black hole), and our measurements of the amplitudes of the converted waves demonstrate the thermal nature of the conversion process for this system. Given the close relationship between stimulated and spontaneous emission, our findings attest to the generality of the Hawking process.
Nov 09 2010 16:00	SISSA, room 005	Luciano Rezzolla (Albert Einstein Institute, Potsdam, Germany)	Using numerical relativity to explore fundamental physics and astrophysics
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Oct 26 2010 16:00	SISSA, room 005	Anna Bonaldi (INAF, Astronomical Observatory in Padua)	Cosmic Microwave Background and Galactic foreground separation in CMB experiments
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Oct 05 2010 16:00	SISSA, room 005	Eugene Churazov (MPA, Garching Germany)	Non-thermal pressure in early-type galaxies
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Jun 29 2010 16:00	SISSA, Room 135	Antony Valentini (Imperial College, London, UK)	Beyond the Quantum
ABSTRACT: According to hidden-variables theories, quantum physics is a special 'equilibrium' case of a much wider 'nonequilibrium' physics. We describe the search for that wider physics in a cosmological context. The hypothesis that the universe began in a state of quantum nonequilibrium is shown to have observable consequences. In de Broglie-Bohm theory on expanding space, relaxation to quantum equilibrium is shown to be suppressed for field modes whose quantum time evolution satisfies a certain inequality, resulting in a 'freezing' of early nonequilibrium for these particular modes. For an early radiation-dominated expansion, the inequality implies a corresponding physical wavelength that is larger than the (instantaneous) Hubble radius. These results make it possible, for the first time, to make quantitative predictions for deviations from quantum theory. We consider, in particular, corrections to inflationary predictions for the cosmic microwave background, and the possibility of finding relic cosmological particles that violate the laws of quantum mechanics. (Reference: De Broglie-Bohm Prediction of Quantum Violations for Cosmological Super-Hubble Modes)
Jun 22 2010 16:00	SISSA, Room 005	Luca Ciotti (University of Bologna, Italy)	Clues on the formation of elliptical galaxies from their Scaling Laws
ABSTRACT: I will review how the empirical galaxy scaling laws such as the Faber-Jackson, Fundamental Plane, Kormendy relations, when considered together with the Magorrian relation put strong constraints on the formation models of Elliptical Galaxies. I'll also discuss the importance of AGN feedback.
Jun 16 2010 16:00	SISSA, Room 135	Marco Baldi (Max Planck Institute for Astrophysics, Garching, Germany)	N-body simulations of structure formation in the presence of dark interactions
ABSTRACT: If the accelerated expansion of the Universe is driven by the dynamics of a classical scalar field, it is natural to speculate about possible interactions of such scalar field with other cosmic components as e.g. cold dark matter. Interacting dark energy models have been widely studied in the last decade and have been shown to provide possible answers to the fine tuning problems of the standard LCDM cosmology. However, the effects of these models on observable structures have only recently started to be investigated, also by means of suitable modifications of N-body algorithms. I will discuss the impact that dark energy interactions, with constant or time dependent couplings, can have on large scale structures and on the properties of collapsed objects, as e.g. the baryonic fraction or the density profile of massive halos, from the outcomes of the first high-resolution hydrodynamical N-body simulations of interacting dark energy models.
Jun 08 2010 16:00	SiSSA, Room TBD	Bruce Bassett (SAAO, Cape Town, South Africa)	Baryon Acoustic Oscillations: review and future prospects
ABSTRACT: We review the use of Baryon Acoustic Oscillations (BAO) as tools for cosmology focusing on simplifying the presentation of the basic physics as well as complications such as nonlinearity, survey design and statistical complications in the hunt for dark energy.
Jun 01 2010 16:00	SiSSA, Room TBD	George Ellis (University of Cape Town, South Africa)	Explaining the apparent acceleration of the universe: Lambda and multiverses, and inhomogeneous alternatives to dark energy
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Apr 27 2010 16:00	SISSA, Room D	Tess Jaffe (CESR, Toulouse, France)	Modeling the Galactic Magnetic Field in the Plane
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Apr 13 2010 16:00	SISSA, Room D	Daniele Malesani ( Dark Cosmology Centre, Copenhagen, Denmark)	Gamma-ray bursts: a sample approach
ABSTRACT: Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are bright explosions visible from all over the Universe. Being produced in core-collapse supernovae, they pinpoint environments where active star formation is ongoing. Spectroscopy of their optical counterparts (afterglows) allows to probe the medium of high-redshift galaxies, its gas content, metallicity, and dust extinction. GRBs also offer an effective way to locate high-redshift star-forming galaxies, selected in a way complementary to all other galaxy surveys. I will present an ongoing project to derive properties of GRB environments and host galaxies focussing on the need to collect a complete, well defined sample. The approach is twofold, starting from the immediate follow-up of GRB afterglows and continuing with late-time studies of GRB hosts. A special mention goes to the role of the now operational X-shooter instrument at the VLT, which will allow - and is in fact allowing - more detailed and effective GRB studies.
Mar 23 2010 16:00	SISSA, Room D	Patrick Petitjean (IAP, Paris, France)	Absorption line systems in quasars: from large scales to the ISM of high-z galaxies
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Mar 09 2010 16:00	SISSA, Room D	Luigi Stella (INAF-Rome Astronomical Observatory)	An introduction to magnetars and some aspects of their physics
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Mar 02 2010 16:00	SISSA, Room D	Jens Niemeyer (University of Goettingen, Germany)	The Evolution of Turbulence in the Intergalactic Medium
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Feb 09 2010 16:00	SISSA, Room D	Thomas Sotiriou (DAMTP, Cambridge, UK)	Astrophysical Black Holes as Particle Colliders
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Feb 02 2010 16:00	SISSA, Room D	Enric Verdaguer (University of Barcelona, Spain)	Cosmological perturbations in Semiclassical and Stochastic Gravity
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Oct 22 2009 16:00	SISSA, Room E	Luca Maccione (Hamburg University)	Facts and perspectives towards understanding high energy cosmic ray propagation, and multidisciplinary applications
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Jun 23 2009 16:00	SISSA, Room D	Burkhard Zink (Louisiana State University (US))	Oscillations of relativistic stars and disks
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Jun 09 2009 16:00	SISSA, Room D	Stephan Rosswog (Jacobs University Bremen, Germany)	SPH calculations of compact-object binaries
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Jun 02 2009 16:00	SISSA, Room D	Vladimir Karas (Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic)	Relativistic effects in spectra and polarisation from black hole accretion discs
ABSTRACT: The inner parts of accretion flows onto black holes have been studied by means of X-ray spectroscopy. This effort aims to explore the extreme conditions of gaseous matter in cores of active galactic nuclei and close to compact components of binary stars. In particular, one would like to reveal signatures of strong gravitational fields in these objects. The overall spectral shape and various features are explained relatively well in terms of simplified models, but more sophistication will be needed in order to understand future time-resolved spectra at an enhanced level of future spectral and timing resolution, and to interpret new pieces of evidence, such as the polarimetric information. We summarize the equations describing light intensity and polarization propagation through plasmas in strong gravitational fields.
Apr 28 2009 16:00	SISSA, Room D	Clive Dickinson (Jodrell Bank, Manchester, UK)	Foreground cleaning and reconstruction in modern CMB experiments
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Mar 24 2009 16:00	SISSA, Room D	Sadegh Khochfar (MPI for Extraterrestrial Physics, Munich, Germany)	The high-z Universe
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Mar 10 2009 16:00	SISSA, Room D	Alessandro Melchiorri (Rome, University La Sapienza)	Future measurements of Cosmic Microwave Background Anisotropies as a test for fundamental physics
ABSTRACT: In the next years new satellite, balloon-borne and ground based experiments will map temperature and polarization fluctuations in the cosmic microwave background (CMB) with unprecedented resolution and sensitivity. In this talk I will review the expected scientific impact of these measurements on several aspects of fundamental physics.