Obiettivo
The research goal of this proposal is the investigation of the most fundamental aspects of particle physics models and gravity at high energies, and establishing the connection between these findings and experiments. The main fundamental questions that will be addressed are: What is the origin of mass for the mediators of the weak interactions and its connection with the masses of quarks and leptons? Why this mass is hierarchically different from the Planck scale which makes gravity so weak compared to the other three known fundamental interactions described by the current Standard Model of particle physics? Why this enormous mass hierarchy is quantum mechanically stable? What is the theory that describes physical laws at TeV energies which will be explored in the near future by the Large Hadron Collider at CERN? These questions are at the very frontier of knowledge of theoretical particle physics and phenomenology and their intersection with gravity and string theory. All members of the proposed research team have made breakthrough contributions in putting forward and developing new ideas that dominated such a research during the past 10 years. Although there is a certain overlap in the interests, each member brings a different unique expertise to the research, which will strongly resonate with the other members activity. Obviously, this project is strongly correlated with LHC physics confronting theoretical predictions with observations and using experimental data for building new theories and correcting existing models. In such an intense dynamical process, participation of doctoral students and postdoctoral researchers will be absolutely crucial and their active involvement is an essential component of the project. The main funding required by the project from the EU is for hiring of 14 person-years of PhD students and 14 person-years of postdocs.
Campo scientifico
- natural sciencesphysical sciencestheoretical physicsparticle physicsleptons
- natural sciencesphysical sciencestheoretical physicsparticle physicsparticle accelerator
- natural sciencesphysical sciencestheoretical physicsparticle physicsquarks
- natural sciencesphysical sciencestheoretical physicsstring theory
- social scienceslaw
Parole chiave
Invito a presentare proposte
ERC-2008-AdG
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Meccanismo di finanziamento
ERC-AG - ERC Advanced GrantIstituzione ospitante
1211 GENEVE 23
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