Research in Elementary Particle Theory

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This award funds the research activities of Professors Pran Nath, Haim Goldberg, Brent D Nelson and Tomasz Taylor at Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts. The Principal Investigators (PIs) plan to carry out research in broad areas of particle physics with the aim of deciphering the nature of physics that lies beyond the Standard Model. Their theoretical investigations are closely linked with the current experimental efforts such as those at the Large Hadron Collider as well as in several underground experiments searching for dark matter and satellite experiments which probe the early history of the universe. The efforts of the PIs are based on supersymmetry, supergravity and string theory as these are the leading theoretical frameworks for new physics beyond the Standard Model. The PIs also plan to pursue neutrino cosmology and dark radiation in Big Bang Nucleosynthesis and in Cosmic Microwave Background data coming from the PLANCK satellite experiment. This research project also has a strong educational component which involves the training of graduate and undergraduate students. Several students will work with the PIs on their Ph.D. dissertations and additionally the research projects will be used as an educational tool for physics majors regarding developments on particle physics frontiers. The results of this research will be disseminated via publications in refereed journals, through open access arXiv.org, through talks at international conferences, and through popular journals. This research project will also involve collaborators from many countries and thus will enhance international collaboration in fundamental physics.