Berlin 2015 – scientific programme

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GR: Fachverband Gravitation und Relativitätstheorie

GR 9: Invited Talks 4

GR 9.3: Invited Talk

Wednesday, March 18, 2015, 11:10–11:50, H 2013

Supernova Cosmology — •Bruno Leibundgut — European Southern Observatory, Garching, Germany

Mapping the universal expansion history has been a goal of cosmologists for decades. Thermonuclear supernovae have provided a tool to measure (relative) distances over more than half the age of the universe, were instrumental in the detection of accelerated expansion and the inference of Dark Energy. A constant equation of state parameter has been determined to better than 10 percent and is fully consistent with Einstein's cosmological constant.

During the decade after discovery the original result was confirmed and refined through larger samples and improved techniques. The existing data sets now have reached statistical levels, where the systematic uncertainties dominate the result. New ideas and techniques are required to measure a potential evolution of the equation of state parameter and rule out certain models of gravity or particle physics.

Upcoming surveys will assemble unprecedented supernova samples with thousands of objects. Provide the analysis procedures are developed sufficiently they may have the power to test for deviations from the cosmological constant.