Broken Symmetries in the Cosmos
Dr. Tom Chang

Abstract:
If there is any running of the propagator (fundamental interaction) coupling constant at large spatial scales in renormalization-group (similarity) transformations of the gravitational effective action, cosmological observations may experience “apparent” antiscreening distortions with possible dark matter implications.  A narrative description of this novel idea of symmetry-breaking will be conveyed to the general scientific audience, along with some simple illustrative examples utilizing the fractional differintegral operators.

Simulating the Universe on a Supercomputer
Mr. Ryan McKinnon

Abstract:
Galaxies in the universe form and grow over time in a complicated nonlinear fashion. Recent advances in supercomputing ability make it possible to numerically model the essential physics and evolve a “mock” universe from shortly after the Big Bang to the present day, producing a fairly realistic population of galaxies. In this talk, I will highlight the key topics in physics that govern galaxy formation, display visualizations from state-of-the-art astrophysics simulations, and discuss the supercomputing resources needed to simulate the universe.

For a complete listing, see IAP 2018–MKI Activities