Figures of Merit for Testing Standard Models: Application to Dark Energy Experiments in Cosmology

Understand

Given a standard model to test, an experiment can be designed to: (i) measure the standard model parameters; (ii) extend the standard model; or (iii) look for evidence of deviations from the standard model.

• To measure (or extend) the standard model, the Fisher matrix is widely used in cosmology to predict expected parameter errors for future surveys under Gaussian assumptions.
• In this article, we present a frame- work that can be used to design experiments such that it maximises the chance of finding a deviation from the standard model.
• Using a simple illustrative example, discussed in the appendix, we show that the optimal experimental configuration can depend dramatically on the optimisation approach chosen.