Wayne State Particle and Nuclear Theory Research
Wayne State particle and nuclear physics research effort concentrates
on two major tasks, physics of heavy flavors and heavy ion collisions. Our
main goal is to understand how modern-days experiments can provide an essential
hint towards the explanation of the origin of the matter-antimatter imbalance
in the Universe.
Faculty:
Prof. Sean Gavin:
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Experiments at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider in the U.S. and at the
Large Hadron Collider in Switzerland during the later part of the decade permit
studies of the collisions of large nuclei at the highest available energies.
The theoretical challenge is to reconstruct the state of the highly excited
quark-gluon plasma formed in these collisions from the plethora of particles
seen in the laboratory. To confront this challenge, we are working to understand
the statistical mechanics of this quark gluon plasma together with the dynamics
of how it is produced. We employ methods from such diverse areas as relativistic
quantum field theory, QCD, nonequilibrium statistical mechanics and the dynamics
of phase transitions.
Prof. Alexey Petrov:
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A major goal of the experimental effort to study the physics of B mesons
is to explore the features of the phenomenon of CP violation, to test the
Standard Model of particle physics, and to search for the glimpses of New
Physics at higher energies. The theoretical research effort of the group overlaps
significantly with these goals. Current interests of the group include QCD
phenomenology, mainly in applications to the heavy quark systems, and studies
of CP violation. Current projects include investigations of meson mixing
phenomena in B as well as in D systems, decays and production of conventional
and hybrid quarkonia, and understanding the nature of non-perturbative effects
in various decays of K mesons.
Prof. William Rolnick:
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Dr. Fabrizio Gabbiani:
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Postdocs:
Dr. Andrey Onishchenko:
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