HKUST Centre for Fundamental Physics
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HKUST
Research Area
We have assembled a strong team of researchers with complementary expertise to explore from multiple angles the deep connections between physics of the very large and the very small. A prime example of such connections is the physics of dark matter (DM). Particle physics offers a variety of candidates for the DM particle, and the existence of DM is one of the most compelling indicators that the Standard Model (SM) of particle physics is fundamentally incomplete. Evidence from observational cosmology and astrophysics gives information about the nature of the DM particle and these constraints impact on the development of theories beyond the SM whose predictions can further be tested and cross-checked at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). DM is not the only unidentified ingredient of the universe. The observational evidence for dark energy suggests an even more critical rethinking of short distance physics; understanding dark energy will likely require input from quantum gravity.

Other phenomena at the intersection of particle physics and cosmology we aim to explore include the origin of the baryon asymmetry of the universe, and the nature of inflation. The origin of structure in the universe such as galaxies and clusters of galaxies is believed to have happened through sub-atomic quantum fluctuations, whose ripples we see as tiny fluctuations in the temperature of cosmic microwave background across the sky. Inflation is the leading paradigm for seeding these primordial fluctuations. Its theoretical underpinnings and predictions call for a deeper understanding of Planck scale physics. String theory reconciles quantum field theory and general relativity and thus provides an overarching and well-grounded framework to investigate all the above interconnections. Our team will collaborate to develop theoretical approaches to these interconnected issues, derive predictions of theoretical models, and design search strategies.

String Theory
String theory provides an elegant way to quantize gravity. Our research focuses on the connection of string theory with physics in the "real" world, which includes string compactification and its low-energy scale effective theory, vacuum selection, string phenomenology and cosmology.
Particle Physics
The discovery of a 125GeV Higgs boson at the Large Hadron Collider at CERN has launched a new era of particle physics. Our research involves various aspects (theory, phenomenology, and collider studies) of Higgs physics, physics beyond the Standard Model (e.g., supersymmetry), and their potential connections with cosmology, such as dark matter and baryogenesis.
Cosmology
Cosmology is stepping into a data-rich era. We are dedicated to addressing various problems on the origin and the evolution of the Universe, including the initial condition and exit problems of inflation, its implication for astrophysical observations (e.g., primordial gravitational wave, non-Gaussianity of the Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS)), dark energy and cosmological constant problem.
Quantum Optics for Astrophysics and Cosmology
Nearly all astronomy observation is based upon the interpretation of subtleties in the light from astronomical sources. Quantum optics appears to have the potential of becoming another information channel about the Universe, fundamentally different from imaging and spectroscopy. What astronomy could then be possible with quantum optics?