Workshop on Physics with a Positive Cosmological Constant

Workshop Proceedings

Wednesday, May 9
Time	Topic	Speaker
8:50 - 9:00	Welcome	Murat Gunaydin
9:00 - 10:15	Cosmology vs Equilibrium [Slides] \| [Toy Model 2a] \| [Toy Model 2b]	Andreas Albrecht UC, Davis
10:45 - 12:00	Perturbative Stability of de Sitter Space [Slides]	Richard Holman Carnegia Mellon University
1:30 - 2:45	The IR Behavior of dS QFT: Bulk Unitarity and Conformal Dimensions in dS/CFT [Slides]	Don Marolf UC, Santa Barbara
2:45 - 4:00	From the Big Bounce to the Near de Sitter Slow Roll [Slides]	Abhay Ashtekar Penn State
4:30 - 5:45	Computing the Wave-Function of the Universe in 2+1 Dimensions [Slides]	Alex Maloney McGill University

Thursday, May 10
Time	Topic	Speaker
9:00 - 10:15	Testing for Alternatives to a Positive Cosmological Constant [Slides]	Rachel Bean Cornell University
10:45 - 12:00	What Can Quantum Field Theory Teach Us about the Origin and Consequences of a Positive Cosmological Constant? [Slides]	Stefan Hollands Cardiff University
1:30 - 2:45	Constraining Gravity Theories with Higher Spin Particles	Juan Maldacena Institute for Advanced Study
2:45 - 4:00	Elusive Semi-Classical de Sitter Vacua [Slides]	Marco Zagermann Leibniz University
4:30 - 5:45	The dS/dS Correspondence [Slides]	Eva Silverstein Stanford University

Friday, May 11
Time	Topic	Speaker
9:00 - 10:15	Loop Gravity, Spin Foams and the Cosmological Constant [Slides]	Eugenio Bianchi Perimeter Institute
10:45 - 12:00	Discussion Session - Quantum Field Theory on Cosmological Backgrounds and Related Issues	Moderator: Stefan Hollands
1:30 - 2:45	The Quantum Theory of Stable de Sitter Space [Slides]	Tom Banks UC Santa Cruz
2:45 - 4:00	Brane Back-Reaction as a No-Go Antidote: How to get de Sitter (and flat) Space When You Think You Shouldn't [Slides]	Cliff Burgess McMaster Univ/Perimeter Institute
4:30 - 5:45	Discussion Session - Stability of de Sitter Backgrounds and Related Issues	Moderator: Sarah Shandera