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Numerical Relativity and Cosmology
Add to Calendar 2022-02-11T15:30:00 2022-02-11T16:45:00 UTC Numerical Relativity and Cosmology 339 Davey Lab
Start DateFri, Feb 11, 2022
10:30 AM
to
End DateFri, Feb 11, 2022
11:45 AM
Presented By
Anna Ijjas, NYU
Event Series: Fundamental Theory Seminar

Abstract: In this talk, I will introduce numerical relativity as a powerful new complementary tool for addressing fundamental issues in cosmology. To illustrate its power, I will discuss applications of numerical relativity to studying the robustness of slow contraction and inflation in homogenizing, isotropizing and flattening the universe beginning from generic unsmooth initial conditions. In particular, I will describe how recent numerical relativity studies of slow contraction have revealed a novel, non-linear smoothing mechanism based on ultralocality that challenges the conventional view on what is required to explain the large-scale homogeneity and isotropy of the observable universe.