PPC-2010The fourth international Workshop on the Interconnection between Particle Physics and Cosmology (PPC 2010) will be organized by the University of Torino and by the INFN/Torino - Italy - from 12 to 16 of July 2010 and will be hosted by the National University Library of Torino, holdings of the italian Ministry of Heritage and Culture.This workshop is the fourth in the PPC annual series, started in 2007 at the Texas A&M University (USA) and aims at discussing the bridge between particle physics, cosmology and astrophysics. In fact, recent advances in observational astronomy have brought a new focus on the potential connections between new fundamental particles and our understanding of their impact on the early universe and its evolution. With the content of the universe well known from WMAP, supernovae and balloon observations, a key aspect is that 23% of the universe appears to consist of dark matter. If current theories are correct, the particle physics candidate for this matter may well be observed in ongoing direct and/or indirect dark matter detection experiments or at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) which is on the verge of being operational. With its observation, a vigorous program to understand this new particle(s) and confirm its role as the dark matter will shepherd in a golden era of discovery. In addition, about 70% of the universe, the dark energy, however, still remains a significant mystery that major theoretical attempts are trying to understand. The observations of more distant supernovae are expected to shed light in solving this mystery. The upcoming results at the LHC, PLANCK and many direct and indirect detection experiments are motivations behind organizing this workshop on particle physics and cosmology. In this workshop, we plan to discuss various issues related to the realization of the well-motivated connection between these two areas. Since the models are intricate and the experiments are complicated, we plan to examine possible avenues through which the connection can be explored. The workshop will involve particle physics theorists and experimentalists, cosmologists and astrophysicists. The constributions will address major theoretical models, current experimental data, as well as upcoming and future ideas. Talks will be geared to be comprehensible to both particle physicists and astrophysicists. In collaboration with: Consorzio Interuniversitario per la Fisica Spaziale Ministero per i Beni e le Attivita' Culturali - Direzione Regionale per i Beni Culturali e Paesaggistici del Piemonte - Biblioteca Nazionale Universitaria di Torino |
