PROSPECTS IN THEORETICAL PHYSICS

Goals for the 2003 PiTP Program

This is a program for advanced physics graduate students interested in cosmology, as well as astrophysics graduate students interested in particle physics, and will address problems of interest to both groups. The two-week program will accommodate up to fifty participants. In particular, we encourage the participation of women, minorities, and students from institutions with smaller programs in astrophysics and particle physics.

Outline of the program

Recognizing the deep connections that exist between quarks and the cosmos -- the very large and the very small -- the National Academies' Committee on the Physics of the Universe (CPU) recently released a report outlining questions that they expect the disciplines of physics and astrophysics to cooperatively address in the coming years. Some of these questions are:

What is dark matter?
How did the universe begin?
Is there a cosmological constant?
What are the masses of the neutrinos, and how have they shaped the evolution of the universe?
Are there additional spacetime dimensions?
Is a new theory of matter and light needed at the highest energies?

The 2003 Prospects in Theoretical Physics program will provide an overview of recent advances and results in these areas and aim to equip the participants with the insights and knowledge to pursue these compelling new research opportunities.

The program is designed to have a two-pronged approach, consisting of a series of lectures and seminars. The morning lectures will start at a more elementary level, as they are meant to provide the basic techniques needed in the field. They will be organized around mini-courses on specific topics, as listed below. Students are expected to be familiar with field theory and with the standard model. They also should start reading about topics covered in the lectures. A list of useful reading material will be posted. The afternoon seminars will be pitched at a more advanced level and will address the latest advances.