Photos of the workshop can be seen here.

Abstracts/Topics:

Speaker (Affiliation): David Bacon (ICG, Portsmouth)

Title: "Probing the dark Universe with current and future surveys"

Abstract: It is an exciting time to investigate the dark components of the Universe, with large new astronomical surveys such as the Dark Energy Survey (DES) reaching maturity. I will discuss the theory and practice of cosmological probes which we use with DES, such as strong/weak gravitational lensing and galaxy clustering. I will then describe the latest results from DES for these probes (including some of the interplay between them), and discuss the resulting cosmological constraints and their implications. Finally, I will look forward to the next generation of surveys and consider how they can make qualitatively new contributions to our understanding of the dark Universe.

Speaker (Affiliation): Martine Bosman (IFAE, Barcelona)

Title: "Experimental highlights from the LHC"

Abstract: Some recent experimental highlights of the LHC are presented and perspectives for the future are discussed.

Speaker (Affiliation): John Ellis (CERN)

Title: "How and where will we find what new physics beyond the Standard Model?"

Abstract: This talk will present some prospects for probing new physics indirectly and searching for it directly during future runs of the LHC and at possible future colliders.

Speaker (Affiliation):  Steve Giddings (University of California, Santa Barbara)

Title: "Quantum information in quantum gravity: localization, transfer, and black hole evolution"

Abstract: A key aspect in understanding a quantum system is describing how quantum information is localized and how it evolves.  Quantum gravity presents unique features, departing from traditional finite quantum theories or quantum field theory, and raising the question of what mathematical structure describes subsystems in which information can be localized.  Aspects of this structure and its implications for foundational properties of quantum gravity will be discussed.  If a black hole is a quantum subsystem in which information can be localized, unitary decay of a black hole requires transfer of this information to its environment.  Interactions accomplishing this transfer can be parameterized, given a very simple set of assumptions, and can be surprisingly weak.  An important question is whether such interactions can impact black hole observations using VLBI or gravitational waves.

Speaker (Affiliation): Carlos Herdeiro (University of Aveiro)

Title: "Black hole scalarisation(s)"

Abstract: The Kerr hypothesis is that astrophysical black hole candidates are well described by the Kerr metric. Theoretically, this hypothesis is based on the uniqueness theorems for electro-vacuum. But in the presence of other types of matter or modified gravity are there any viable alternatives? In this talk I will provide examples of black holes with hair that could be dynamically viable via two different scalarisation mechanisms and I will comment on their phenomenological viability.

Speaker (Affiliation):  Hiller Gudrun (TU Dortmund University)

Title: "Implications of lepton non-universality for particle physics"

Abstract: Implications of the exciting hints for lepton-nonuniversality seen in ratios of rare B-decays into muons and electrons at the LHCb-experiment  are discussed. If indeed true and confirmed with more data in the future at the LHC (CERN, Switzerland) and Belle II (KEK, Japan), this would constitute a spectacular breakdown of the standard model:
i) it would tell us that leptons are more different from each other than we thought and ii) there is an intriguing link to the flavor puzzle. Leptoquarks provide natural explanations of the anomalies as they carry lepton and quark flavor charges and thus generically can induce  nonuniversality, and lepton flavor violation. B-physics  data point to masses from just around the corner, at the present search limits, to the few multi-TeV range, while viable flavor models suggest masses of a  few TeV. Search strategies for colliders and  next steps  are discussed.