Research Expertise and Interest

elementary particle theory

Research Description

I am interested in pushing particle theory beyond the well-established Standard Model. My work in recent years has focused on the symmetry breaking mechanism by which particles acquire masses, and more specifically on supersymmetry and supergravity. Supersymmetry provides a possible mechanism for understanding the large hierarchy in scale between the masses of particles studied with accelerators and the 'natural' scale of physics which is the Planck mass. Supergravity, particularly when regarded as the 'low energy' limit of superstring theory, provides the best hope at present for unification of all forces. My current research attempts to tie superstrings to observable physics.