Neutrino cosmology

Wed 28 Feb, 2018 @12 PM, level 7
Dr. Yvonne Wong, Senior Lecturer
University of New South Wales

Email: yvonne.y.wong[at]unsw.edu.au

Abstract

Neutrinos are the most weakly interacting and one of the lightest particles in the standard model of particle physics. Ironically, while these characteristics make the neutrino elusive in the laboratory, they are precisely what makes neutrinos the most abundant known subatomic particle in the universe, averaging about 300 particles per cubic centimetre today. The sheer number of these particles makes them an important participant in many cosmological processes, from the primordial synthesis of light elements, to the formation of the cosmic microwave background anisotropies and the large-scale cosmic structures. In this talk I will review the role played by neutrinos in these processes.