Cosmic Vision 2015-2025: Fundamental Laws

07 Feb 2006
Theme 3 - What are the fundamental physical laws of the Universe?
The most important challenge facing fundamental physics today is to understand the
foundations of nature more deeply. Physicists know that the laws of physics as
formulated at present do not apply at extremely high temperatures and energies, so that
events in the first fraction of a second after the Big Bang are not at all understood. Matter
as we know it today did not then exist; protons and electrons formed later.
Yet whatever happened during this first instant created the conditions that led to everything we see
today: atoms, stars, galaxies and people. Many physicists believe that in these extreme conditions
physics was governed by the 'ultimate theory', a single theory that explains and unifies all the
separate laws and forces as they appear today.

During the period 2015-2025 it will be possible to use several maturing

technologies to conduct experiments in space to look for the slight
deviations in our standard physical laws that might contain crucial
clues to the deeper unified theory of physics that physicists seek. The
European fundamental physics community responded to the Cosmic
Vision initiative with an outpouring of suggestions for high-precision
experiments in space aimed at the areas felt most likely to uncover
new physics.
Goal
Probe the limits of general relativity, symmetry violations, fundamental
constants, short-range forces, quantum physics of Bose-Einstein
condensates, and ultra-high-energy cosmic rays, to look for clues to
unified theories
Concepts
1.

2.
3.

Use the stable and gravity-free environment of space to

implement high-precision experiments to search for tiny
deviations from the standard model of fundamental
interactions
Test the validity of Newtonian gravity using a trans-Saturn
dragfree mission
Observe from orbit the patterns of light emitted from the
Earth's atmosphere by the showers of particles produced by
the impacts of sub-atomic particles of ultra-high-energy

Mission Scenarios
1.
2.

Fundamental physics explorer programme

Deep space gravity probe

3.

Space detector for ultrahigh-energy cosmic rays

Gravitational waves were predicted by Einstein almost immediately

after he formulated his theory of general relativity 90 years ago. They
have the potential to bring us completely new information about the
Universe and its most extreme objects. Observable gravitational waves
should be produced by massive objects (especially black holes)
colliding or moving in tight orbits around one another, by the Big Bang,
and possibly by unknown components of the dark matter of the
Universe.
Goal
Make a key step towards detecting and studying the gravitational
radiation background generated at the Big Bang. Probe the Universe at
high redshift and explore the dark Universe
Concepts
1.

Primordial gravitational waves, unaffected by ionised matter,

are ideal probes of the laws of physics at the fantastic energies
and temperatures of the Big Bang. They open an ideal window
to probe the very early Universe and dark energy at very early
times

Mission Scenarios
1.

Gravitational wave cosmic surveyor

Black holes are the most exotic prediction of general relativity. They
have the strongest possible gravitational fields, and yet in general
relativity they are among the simplest objects to describe. The entire
gravitational field of a black hole is determined by just three
parameters: its total mass, its total spin angular momentum, and its
total electric charge. It is as if extreme gravity crushes the individuality
out of these objects, so that they are all essentially identical,
regardless of how they were formed. Gravitational wave detectors,
especially LISA, will register gravitational waves from disturbed black
holes and from objects orbiting black holes, and they will be able to
test whether real black holes are as simple as relativity predicts.
Goal
Probe general relativity in the environment of black holes and other
compact objects, and investigate the state of matter inside neutron
stars
Concepts
1.

The study of the spectrum and time variability of radiation

from matter near black holes shows the imprint of the
curvature of space-time as predicted by general relativity. This
has strong implications for astrophysics and cosmology in
general

Mission Scenarios
1.

Large-aperture X-ray observatory