Center for Particle Physics and Phenomenology - CP3

As a driving motivation, our research activities aim to address some of the basic issues remaining open in the present day gauge theories of the fundamental quantum interactions and their matter couplings.

On the one hand, for well accepted theories a solid understanding of their nonperturbative dynamics remains largely wanting. Undoubtedly, topological and geometrical properties in field space in relation to large gauge symmetries play crucial roles in this respect, to which perturbative gauge fixing procedures remain totally oblivious. A significant component of our research efforts addresses such issues within lower dimensional gauge theories or abelian gauge theories from complementary nonperturbative points of view, also unravelling dualities between apparently disconnected theories.

On the other hand, present day gauge theories of the fundamental quantum interactions present their own challenges pointing towards new fundamental conceptual paradigms beyond quantum physics and gravity. Some of the exploratory paths being trodden are deformations of quantum mechanics, noncommutative or fuzzy spacetime geometries, and topological theories for pure quantum gravity, being applied in a variety of physical circumstances.

Yet in relation to the above, some interests in particle phenomenology are also being pursued, mostly centered on the electromagnetic properties of neutrinos in as many varied physical contexts as possible.

Finally, progress in nonperturbative dynamics of gauge theories has often exploited advances made in condensed matter physics.Collective phenomena in lower dimensional fermionic systems display a variety of behaviours, remaining also largely not yet understood, which may well prove relevant to nonperturbative gauge dynamics alike. Hence a modest part of research activities addresses such issues as well, in particular within the context of the different phenomena of superconductivity.