What laboratory experiments can teach us about cosmology: A chameleon example

Understand

Laboratory experiments can shed light on theories of new physics introduced in order to explain cosmological mysteries, including the nature of dark energy and dark matter.

• In this article I will focus on one particular example of this, the chameleon model.
• The chameleon is an example of a theory which could modify gravity on cosmological distance scales, but its non-linear behavior means that it can also be tested with suitably designed laboratory experiments.
• The aim of this overview is to present recent theoretical developments to the experimental community.