Effective field theory is the cornerstone of our description of early universe cosmology, as exemplified by the theory of cosmological inflation. In recent years, interest in primordial non-gaussianity, loop corrections, initial state effects and the generic predictions of inflationary models has spurred a deeper theoretical understanding of effective field theory applied to time-dependent or cosmological space-times.
Cosmological observations suggest that the current universe is composed of roughly three-quarters dark energy and is again undergoing a period of accelerated expansion. Can effective field theory methods shed light on the nature of dark energy as well?