Chapter 11
Questions
The questions are really meant to help guide your thinking
as you read. You may find it helpful to look at the questions
first and bear them in mind as you read.
-
Inflation: Motivation.
-
What are the main cosmic puzzles which
inflation addresses?
-
In the absence of inflation, what is one possible
solution of the horizon problem?
Note: just becuase it is possible
does not mean you necessarily have to find it satisfying!
-
Inflation in the Abstract.
-
Inflation means more than just cosmic expansion.
Indeed, for much of cosmic history the expansion is
not inflationary.
What is special about expansion during inflation?
How is that different from (or similar to)
expansion during other epochs (e.g., BBN, recombination, the present)?
-
How does inflation solve the problems
you mentioned in question 1?
-
Inflation and Dark Energy.
Our current theoretical ideas about Inflation and Dark Energy
are closely related but also have important differences.
- What are similarities between
inflation and our current theoretical ideas
about dark energy?
- In what way(s) do inflation and dark energy differ?
-
Predictions of Inflation.
-
What are testable predictions of inflation?
Which if any might be regarded as "postdictions"--i.e.,
inflation was designed from the start to give such a result?
Which if any cannot be fairly regarded as postdictions--i.e.,
which predictions would you say are bona fide tests
which could rule out (or rule in!) inflation?
-
Which pre/postdictions of inflation
have been tested observationally?
Broadly speaking, what observations test them,
and what grade would you give inflation on these exams?
-
What is a prediction of inflation which has not
yet been tested but could/will be in the forseeable
future?
-
Other questions or comments?
Brian D. Fields
Last modified: Fri Mar 19 13:25:47 CDT 2010