Measuring spacetime: from big bang to black holes

Abstract

Nerd abstract: Observational constraints on spacetime are reviewed, focusing on how the underlying physics (dark matter, dark energy, gravity) can be tested rather than assumed. Popular abstract: Space is not a boring static stage on which events unfold over time, but a dynamic entity with curvature, fluctuations and a rich life of its own which is a booming area of study. Spectacular new measurements of the cosmic microwave background, gravitational lensing, type Ia supernovae, large-scale structure, spectra of the Lyman alpha forest, stellar dynamics and x-ray binaries are probing the properties of spacetime over 22 orders of magnitude in scale. Current measurements are consistent with an infinite flat everlasting Universe containing about 30% cold dark matter, 65% dark energy and at least two distinct populations of black holes.

arXiv commentInvited review for Science, 4 figs. Slightly abbreviated published version available at http://www.hep.upenn.edu/~max/spacetime.html

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• Recursive Stochastic Effects in Valley Hybrid Inflation
• Fluctuations in a Cosmology with a Space-Like Singularity and their Gauge Theory Dual Description
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• Note on Reheating in G-inflation
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• Can Back-Reaction Prevent Eternal Inflation?
• Scalar Cosmological Perturbations from Quantum Entanglement within Lorentzian Quantum Gravity
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• The energy spectrum of gravitational waves in a loop quantum cosmological model
• Cosmological Perturbations in Antigravity
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• Trans-Planckian Philosophy of Cosmology
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• QCD Axions and CMB Anisotropy
• Power spectrum of large-scale structure cosmological models in the framework of scalar-tensor theories
• Scalarization and superradiant instability of black hole induced by dark matter halo in the scalar-tensor theory of gravity
• Symplectic Symmetry and the Ab Initio No-Core Shell Model
• Dark Matter and Dark Energy as Effects of Quantum Gravity
• On the Anisotropic Big Bang Cosmology With A General Non-Linear EoS
• The influence of non-minimally coupled scalar fields on the dynamics of interacting galaxies
• Ferromagnetic properties of charged vector bosons condensate in the early universe