Dynamical Dark Energy and Cosmological Tensions

Project Description:

Understanding the late-time acceleration of the Universe remains one of the central problems in modern cosmology. While the standard ΛCDM model provides an excellent overall description of cosmological observations, tensions in key inferred parameters, especially the Hubble constant and structure growth-related quantities, persist and continue to motivate the study of extensions beyond a pure cosmological constant. Recent cosmological observations have intensified interest in the possibility that dark energy may be dynamical rather than a simple cosmological constant, motivating renewed theoretical and observational tests of extensions to ΛCDM. This possibility is especially compelling in light of persistent late-time cosmological tensions, which may point either to unresolved systematics or to new physics beyond the standard model of cosmology. The proposed project will investigate whether simple dynamical dark-energy models can provide a better account of current observations and shed light on the origin of these tensions.

Research Area:

Astronomy

Project Level:

Masters

This Project Is Offered At The Following Node(s):

(NWU)