Outstanding Questions for the Standard Cosmological Model, Imperial College, London, England, March 26th to 29th, 2007.
As we move into the era of precision cosmology as a fully observational science, a large body of evidence appears to favor a 'standard model' of our Universe, consisting principally of dark matter and dark (vacuum) energy, which went through a phase of inflation. However, there remain various inconsistencies and, as a result, alternative theories have been proposed. The purpose of this conference is to discuss the evidence for and against the standard cosmological model. Invited review speakers will summarize key pieces of evidence in both categories, and talks will look at the outstanding questions, ways of addressing them (including alternative models), and future scientific and technological prospects. The scientific papers presented will be distributed to the community at large via the publication of a proceedings book. The meeting organizers have specific policies to encourage students and young postdoctoral scholars, and to bring together a diverse group, including minorities and women, traditionally under-represented groups in astronomy.
