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OATS-DAUT SEMINAR
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Speaker: Yasunori Fujii (Advanced Research Institute for Science and Engineering, Waseda Univ., Japan)

Title: Scalar-tensor theory, the accelerating universe and the time-dependent fine-structure constant, part I

Date: Monday, March 5th, 2007
Time: 16:00
Venue: Villa Bazzoni

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Abstract: The gravitational scalar field in the scalar-tensor theory is shown to provide a natural way to understand unique features of the accelerating universe. Further developing theoretical ideas allows us also to derive the time-dependent fine-structure constant, which is expected to constrain the parameters even more strongly than the way of acceleration. In part I (Monday 5, March in Osservatorio Astronomico di Trieste), emphases are placed mainly on the results to be compared with observations, while in part II (Monday 12, March in SISSA), more detailed analyses are applied to the theoretical foundations, including a general view on today's version of the cosmological constant problem, also comparison with the more phenomenological quintessence approach. The two parts, in either of which no prior experience on the scalar-tensor theory is required, can be attended as a sequence with certain subjects discussed somewhat repeatedly, though hopefully beyond mere redundancy.
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