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Departmental efforts focus on theory, in particular extensions of the standard model with regard to the mass of the neutrino and the strong CP problem. Gravity-oriented efforts include work on the origin of the “dark energy”, the distribution of the cosmic microwave background radiation, and the origin of the highest energy cosmic rays, as well as the physics of quantum foam and the holographic principle.

Particle phenomenology

Gauge field theory and it fundamental aspects. Application of the standard model to explanation of experimental data coming from the high energy laboratories FERMILAB, SLAC and CERN. Entension of the standard model using grand unification, low-energy supersymmetry and conformality. Study of CP uiolation models, neutrino masses, horizontal flavor symmetries. Novel entensions of the standard model motivated by three-family family structure, strong CP problem, duality of gauge field theory and string theory. Use of the AdS/CFT correspondence to give brane-inspired unification of strong and electroweak interactions.

Cosmology

Theoretical Big Bang cosmology. Anisotropy of cosmic background radiation; position of first Doppler peak and relationship to geodesics since recombination time. Predictions to be tested by the WMAP and Planck satellites. Observations of high-red-shift supernovae and their interpretation in terms of the cosmological constant and quintessence. Origin of highest energy cosmic rays and their interpretation in terms of superheavy particle decays. Predictions for the observations to be made by the Pierre Ruger observatory.