During the spring semester, in-person concerts, events and lectures that involve outside guests will not be held, per the university’s COVID-19 travel and visitor policy.
Thursday, March 18, 2021 at 4:00pm to 5:00pm
Virtual Event"The Josephine Lawrence Hopkins Foundation Colloquium":
"The Degree of Fine-Tuning in our Universe -- and Others "
Abstract: The fundamental constants of nature must fall within a
range of values in order for the universe to develop structure and
ultimately support life. This talk considers current constraints on
these quantities and assesses the degree of tuning required for the
universe to be viable. In the realm of particle physics, the relevant
parameters are the strengths of the fundamental forces and the
particle masses. Additional astrophysical parameters include the
cosmic energy density, the cosmological constant, the abundances of
ordinary matter and dark matter, and the amplitude of primordial
density fluctuations. These quantities are constrained by the
necessity that the universe lives for a long time, emerges from its
early epochs with an acceptable chemical composition, and successfully
produces galaxies. On smaller scales, stars and planets must be able
to form and function. The stars must have sufficiently long lifetimes
and hot surface temperatures. We also consider potential fine-tuning
related to the triple alpha reaction that produces carbon, the case of
unstable deuterium, and the possibility of stable diprotons. For all
of these issues, the goal is to delineate the range of parameter space
for which universes can remain habitable.
Dial-In Information
The colloquia are held every Thursday afternoon 4-5 pm. The public is welcome. To view via Zoom, please contact Monica Carpenter (mla20@cornell.edu) or Jason Jennings (jej34@cornell.edu) for the link.
Monica Carpenter
6072553727
Fred Adams
University of Michigan