Dark energy, gravitation and the Copernican principle

Abstract

This text aims at discussing the relations between the cosmic acceleration and the theory of gravitation and more generally with the hypotheses underlying the construction of our cosmological model, such as the validity of general relativity on astrophysical scales and the Copernican principle. We hope to illustrate that cosmological data have now the potential of testing these hypotheses, which go beyond the measurements of its parameters.

47 Pages, 7 figures. Chapter of the book "Dark Energy: observational and theoretical approaches", Ed. by P. Ruiz-Lapuente, Cambridge University Press (2010). Version submitted on the 15 August 2008