High Energy Theory
The faculty, postdocs, and students of the High Energy Theory group engage in a wide variety of research aimed at understanding the most fundamental building blocks of nature. Our research interests include supersymmetry, supergravity, quantum gravity, general relativity, extra space-time dimensions, particle dark matter, high-energy scattering theory, lattice QCD, and phenomenological implications of string theory. Specific interests of each faculty member can be found on the group members page. Visitors should find some helpful information on the our Visitor Information page. Current faculty and postdoc openings are listed in the Open Positions
Seminars and Workshops
We have particle and cosmology theory seminars on Mondays, phenomenological seminars on Tuesdays, and LHC discussions at lunch on Wednesdays, and string seminars on Thursdays. The detailed schedule can be found on our calendar, while a summary of upcoming events and slides from recent talks can be found in the seminar archive. There is a mailing list for seminar announcements that you can subscribe to.
We have also been hosting a series of topical workshops that focus on discussion and interaction rather than formal presentations.
Public Lectures
Part of the mission of the HEFTI initiative is to bring the excitement
of the field to the general public. We sponsor public
lectures where we bring in the best-known and most dynamic lecturers in the field. Past lecturers include
such luminaries as Lisa Randall,
Leonard Susskind, and Nobel Prize Winner
David Gross.
Particle Physics
Particle physics and gravity are subjects filled with unanswered questions, making it an interesting and challenging field of research. A good introduction to many of the basic questions that we study is found at The Particle Adventure.
Much of our work involves close collaboration with theorists and experimentalists at leading particle physics institutions throughout the world, including LBL in Berkeley, California, SLAC at Stanford University, CERN in Geneva, Switzerland, and Fermilab near Chicago, Illinois.
More About HEFTI
The original formation of HEFTI came from the recommendations of an external committee composed of Howard Haber, Joe Lykken (Chair) and Pierre Ramond, this expansion focused on the theory and phenomenology of strings, branes and extra dimensions and led to the hiring of three new faculty members: John Terning, Hsin-Chia Cheng and Markus Luty (in chronological order). Details of the program and the committee's recommendations can be found here. The other members of the high energy group are: Steve Carlip, John Gunion, Nemanja Kaloper and Joe Kiskis.
New Group: QMAP
Thanks to the Provost's Hiring Investment Plan the department has just completed another major expansion of the theory effort with the hiring of Veronika Hubeny, Mukund Rangamani, Jaroslav Trnka, Sergei Dubovsky in Physics and Tudor Dimofte in the Math department. The new group will be know as QMAP: the Center for Quantum Mathematics and Physics.
