Brinson Lecture with Carlos Frenck

6:00–7:00 pm Eckhardt Research Complex

5640 S. Ellis Ave, Chicago

Room 161

The University of Chicago Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics will host

The 2021-22 Brinson Lecture with Carlos S. Frenk: "How our universe was made: all from nothing"

Professor Carlos S. Frenk is Director of the Institute for Computational Cosmology, Durham University's world-renowned theoretical cosmology research group. Along with collaborators from all over the world, he builds model universes in state-of-the-art supercomputers, trying to understand how the structures in our Universe evolved from simple beginnings to the complex structures composed of stars and galaxies that we see today.

Cosmology addresses some of the most fundamental questions in science. How and when did our universe begin? What is it made of? How did galaxies and other structures form? There has been enormous progress in the past few decades towards answering these questions. For example, recent observations have established that our universe contains an unexpected mix of components: ordinary atoms, exotic dark matter and a new form of energy called dark energy. Gigantic surveys of galaxies reveal how the universe is structured. Large supercomputer simulations can recreate the evolution of the universe in astonishing detail and provide the means to relate processes occurring near the beginning with observations of the universe today. A coherent picture of cosmic evolution, going back to a tiny fraction of a second after the Big Bang, is beginning to emerge. However, fundamental issues, like the identity of the dark matter and the nature of the dark energy, remain unresolved.

This lecture is in-person in ERC 161. It will also be livestreamed here.

Visit the event page for more information.

Event Type

Broad Audience, Lectures

Topics

Astronomy>

May 17