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                Dark Matter & Modified Gravity Conference
<br>
<br>6-8 February 2019
<br>
<br>Aachen, Germany
<br>
<br>Call for Abstracts (deadline 31 October 2018)
<br>
<br>www.lhc-epistemologie.uni-wuppertal.de/dm-mg
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>The Research Unit “Epistemology of the LHC” invites students and scholars
<br>in philosophy, history and sociology of physics/science, as well as in
<br>physics, to submit abstracts for the conference “Dark Matter & Modified
<br>Gravity”, taking place from 6 to 8 February 2019 at RWTH Aachen University,
<br>Germany.
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>*Interdisciplinary perspectives on the underdetermination between dark
<br>matter & modified gravity*
<br>
<br>Astrophysical and cosmological observations as well as explanatory gaps in
<br>the Standard Model of particle physics imply the existence of Dark Matter
<br>and/or a modification of our theory of space and time. A decision between
<br>the Dark Matter (DM) and Modified Gravity (MG) approaches is hampered by
<br>problems of underdetermination at different levels and of different kinds.
<br>The plethora of Dark Matter and Modified Gravity approaches, and the
<br>corresponding underdetermination, even in the light of the vast amount of
<br>relevant collider based and astrophysical observations, clearly illustrates
<br>the complexity of this scientific problem. On the other hand, the overlap
<br>of the collider and astrophysical domains may allow for reducing the
<br>underdetermination, thus leading to a simplification of the model
<br>landscape. One focus of this conference is Dark Matter searches at the
<br>Large Hadron Collider and the connection between LHC results and theories
<br>of gravity. We will address the question of different kinds of
<br>underdetermination, both in choosing between the two research programs of
<br>Dark Matter and Modified Gravity, and also in choosing between different
<br>models within each program. In particular, we aim to provide an assessment
<br>of the explanatory power and the explanatory gaps of the Dark Matter and
<br>Modified Gravity hypotheses, and the extent to which these might reduce the
<br>issues of underdetermination.
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>Research topics include, but are not limited to:
<br>
<br>-Is a strict conceptual distinction between DM and MG justified? How does
<br>this relate to the distinction between matter and spacetime?
<br>
<br>-What are the explanatory successes and failures of the DM research
<br>programme, and of the MG research programme? Which models of explanation
<br>are being employed by the respective programmes, and how do those relate?
<br>
<br>-Sociology of the DM-MG debate
<br>
<br>-How do data, constraints and explanations at the LHC, in astrophysics and
<br>cosmology relate? Could the LHC, in principle, confirm dark matter by
<br>itself?
<br>
<br>-Virtues and vices of simplified (dark matter) models. Do simplified models
<br>explain?
<br>
<br>-Hybrid models, fifth forces & exotic theories that are neither MG nor DM
<br>
<br>-Connections between dark energy and DM/MG
<br>
<br>-Novel predictions, fine-tuning and falsifiability
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>*Confirmed Speakers*
<br>
<br>*Physics:*
<br>
<br>*Tessa Baker, *University of Oxford (UK)
<br>
<br>*Lasha Berezhiani, *Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich (Germany)
<br>
<br>*Felix Kahlhoefer, *RWTH Aachen University (Germany)
<br>
<br>*Julien Lesgourgues, *RWTH Aachen University (Germany)
<br>
<br>*Mordehai Milgrom, *Weizmann Institute of Science (Israel)
<br>
<br>*Tobias Mistele, *Frankfurt Institute for Advanced Studies (Germany)
<br>
<br>*Robert Sanders, *University of Groningen (The Netherlands)
<br>
<br>
<br>*Philosophy:*
<br>
<br>*Michela Massimi, *University of Edinburgh (UK)
<br>
<br>*Niels Martens, *RWTH Aachen University (Germany)
<br>
<br>*David Merritt, *Rochester Institute of Technology (USA)
<br>
<br>*Robert Rynasiewicz, *Johns Hopkins University (USA)
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>*History:*
<br>
<br>*Jeroen van Dongen, *University of Amsterdam (The Netherlands)
<br>
<br>*Jaco de Swart, *University of Amsterdam (The Netherlands)
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>*Other speakers from the Humanities to be announced soon (see website)*
<br>
<br>
<br>*Call for Abstracts*
<br>
<br>The Research Unit “Epistemology of the LHC” invites abstract submissions
<br>on
<br>the theme of the conference, from students and scholars in physics as well
<br>as in philosophy, history and sociology of physics/science. Extended
<br>abstracts of between *500 and 1000 words* (excluding references), together
<br>with a short abstract of *maximally 100 words*, should be submitted *as a
<br>pdf *to Niels Martens (martens@physik.rwth-aachen.de) by *31 October 2018.
<br>*We
<br>aim to communicate our decision by 20 November. We especially encourage
<br>submissions from groups that are underrepresented within the above fields.
<br>
<br>*Organisation & Contact*
<br>
<br>This conference is organized by the project “LHC and Gravity” within the
<br>interdisciplinary, DFG-funded research unit “Epistemology of the LHC”.
<br>For
<br>further information, see the conference website:
<br>www.lhc-epistemologie.uni-wuppertal.de/dm-mg,
<br>
<br>or contact the organisers:
<br>
<br>-Niels Martens (RWTH Aachen University) martens@physik.rwth-aachen.de
<br>
<br>-Dennis Lehmkuhl (University of Bonn) lehmkuhl@caltech.edu
<br>
<br>-Michael Krämer (RWTH Aachen University) mkraemer@physik.rwth-aachen.de
<br>
<br>-Erhard Scholz (University of Wuppertal) scholz@math.uni-wuppertal.de
<br>
<br>-Miguel Ángel Carretero Sahuquillo (University of Wuppertal)
<br>carreterosahuqu@uni-wuppertal.de
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