A Centennial Recap of the Cosmological Constant

It has now been a hundred years since the introduction of Cosmological Constant in 1917, included as a constant to Einstein’s general theory of relativity as a way to keep the universe static; a decision that he later regretted. Within this talk, we will enter a time machine and experience ups and downs of the constant’s centennial life decade by decade. We will be introduced to the famous cosmologists of the twentieth century and their contributions that helped to shape the field of modern cosmology. We will see the important experimental results that helped push the constant out of the limelight, as well as the ones that later revived the constant as the star of modern cosmology. Lastly, we will discuss the meaning of the constant in modern cosmology, and its importance in our understanding of the universe.

Reference:
• O’Raifeartaigh, C., O’Keeffe, M., Nahm, W. and Mitton, S. (2018). One hundred years of the cosmological constant: from “superfluous stunt” to dark energy. The European Physical Journal H, 43(1), pp.73-117.