Advanced Studies Institute: High Energy Physics and Cosmology; Vietnam; July 25-31, 2011

University Of Delaware, Newark DE

Investigators

Abstract

This award supports the participation of U.S. researchers and graduate students in an Advanced Studies Institute (ASI) in particle physics and cosmology to be held in Hue, Vietnam in July 2011. It will be hosted by the University of Hue and is supported by BCVSPIN (Bangladesh, China, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, India, Nepal) a group that supports this area of science. The U.S. organizer is Professor Qaisar Shafi at the University of Delaware in Newark. Other sponsors are the University of Virginia in Blacksburg; Hue University College of Education in Vietnam; the Institute of Physics in Hanoi, Vietnam and the Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics in Trieste, Italy. In addition to participation from the countries mentioned above, it will also include scientists and graduate students from Indonesia, Malaysia, Laos and Thailand. The scientific motivation for this Institute is based on the premise that the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) now operating at CERN in Geneva, Switzerland will be able to unlock some of the deepest secrets of the universe. There are many experimentalists and theoretical physicists racing to discover new laws of physics. Such discoveries could greatly alter the face of physics. The main research areas to be discussed include: 1) the origin of mass; 2) the origin of matter in the universe; 3) the nature of dark matter particles; and 4) supersymmetric nature. In addition, they will discuss if there may be complimentary ground-breaking satellite and terrestrial experiments that are helping lay the foundations of modern (post big-bang) cosmology. Each of the above topics will be discussed in depth by leading experts from the U.S. and Europe. The principle lectures will be held during the morning and afternoon, and the evenings will be reserved for discussion and support sessions. It is anticipated that this Institute will facilitate the creation of global scientific networks among physicists from the U.S. and Asian institutions. It also provides an exceptional opportunity for interaction between U.S. scientists and students with their counterparts. U.S. researchers could select Asian graduate students and postdocs to work at their home institutions and invite faculty members for short research stays in order to engage in new collaborative projects. It will also provide the young Asian scientists and students, who often lack access to conferences, journals and scientific exchange, the opportunity to interact with world class experimentalists and theorists in particle physics and cosmology thereby allowing them to keep abreast of the most recent developments and perhaps even provide them a venue for presenting their ideas and work as well.