The Physics department colloquia are usually on Friday afternoons at 3 pm in Room 135. Coffee and cookies are served at 2:45 pm in the same room. Anyone is welcome.

Quantum Gravity and the Observable Universe
Dr. Ivan Agullo, Assistant Professor, Dept. of Physics & Astronomy, Louisiana State University

An important difficulty in the search for a satisfactory theory of quantum gravity is the absence of experimental guidance. The astonishing improvement in cosmological observations attained in the last few years offers an exciting opportunity to change this situation. It is believed that the anisotropies observed in the CMB and in the distribution of galaxies were originated in the very early universe. Observing their details could therefore tell us about physics in such extreme conditions.

In this talk I will review the physics of the genesis of cosmic non-uniformities, paying special attention to the interplay between quantum effects and gravitation. I will describe how cosmological observations can provide detailed information about processes where the relationship between gravity and quantum mechanics plays a crucial role.