News

World’s top physicists in Durham for major academic gathering

(15 December 2004)

Some of the world’s leading physicists who study the origins and composition of the universe and explore theories for how everything works are meeting in Durham this week (16th-18th December) to hear about the latest thinking and exchange new ideas.

The Annual Theory Meeting, which brings together 250 of the leading academics from the UK community of particle physics theorists, will hear from ten main speakers from Universities and research centres around the world.

Durham University has been the venue for this prestigious gathering of the best physicists in this area of leading-edge research since the establishment of the Institute for Particle Physics Phenomenology (IPPP) in the Departments of Mathematical Sciences and Physics in 2000.

Two of the main speakers are from the Geneva-based European Centre for Particle Physics (known as CERN). Another leading Russian academic from the top research institute in Moscow and three contributors from leading institutions in the United States are also on the programme for the three-day conference.

Professor James Stirling, who is Director of the IPPP at Durham University, said : “This is a really high-profile and large gathering of some of the world’s leading academics in the field of particle physics research, for the purpose of exchanging news and views on the latest developments and theories.”

The IPP receives a large slice of its funding from the Particle Physics and Astronomy Research Council (PPARC) which will be represented at the Annual Theory Meeting.

Among the mind-stretching theories and questions which will be addressed by the experts will be “String Theory”, “Phenomenology from Twistor Space” and “Can anyone tell Supersymmetry (from anything else in) a hole in the ground?” Following an established tradition at the meeting, there will be session on a related subject outside the field. This year it is “A Mathematical Physicist’s Approach to Open Problems in Mathematical Virology”.“Although this is essentially a gathering of academic experts we do encourage postgraduate students and other young researchers to take an interest and to take advantage of hearing from some of the world’s best physicists,” said Professor Stirling. The Annual Theory Meeting delegates are based in Grey College and talks take place in the Appleby Lecture Theatre in the Geography Department on the University’s Science Site off South Road, Durham.

For further information contact : Professor James Stirling, Physics Department University of Durham, Tel 0191 334 3749 e-mail w.j.stirling@durham.ac.uk

Media enquiries to : Tom Fennelly, Public Relations, University of Durham, Tel 0191 334 6078 e-mail : t.p.fennelly@durham.ac.uk

Notes to editors :

Durham University has one of the leading physics departments in the UK. For the fourth year running, Durham has come out top in The Times survey of UK Physics & Astronomy departments. Each year there is an intake about 130 students to study for degrees in Physics, Physics & Astronomy, Theoretical Physics and Physics & Mathematics.

In the latest round of the HEFCE Quality Assurance Agency national assessment of university teaching standards we received the maximum possible rating of 24. Our research ranges from fundamental topics such as elementary particle physics and cosmology to applied areas which receive substantial support from industry.

The Institute for Particle Physics Phenomenology (IPPP) aims to foster world-class research in particle physics phenomenology - the bridge between theory and experiment in the study of the tiny building blocks of all matter in the universe and of the fundamental forces that operate between them.

The IPPP is a joint venture of the University of Durham and the UK Particle Physics and Astronomy Research Council (PPARC). It is part of the Centre for Particle Theory in Durham, based jointly in the Departments of Mathematical Sciences and Physics, with a number of academic staff having joint appointments in the two Departments. The activities of the IPPP are overseen by a committee with both internal and external members.

Together with the Institute for Computational Cosmology, the IPPP forms part of the Ogden Centre for Fundamental Physics, housed in a new building adjacent to the Physics Department. The building was officially opened by the Prime Minister on 18th October 2002, and the Inauguration Day for the Ogden Centre took place on 15th November 2002.

The Particle Physics and Astronomy Research Council (PPARC) is the UK's strategic science investment agency. By directing, co-ordinating and funding research, education and training in particle physics and astronomy, PPARC delivers world-leading science, technologies and people for the UK. Based in Swindon, along with several other research councils, PPARC operates three scientific sites: the UK Astronomy Technology Centre in Edinburgh, the Isaac Newton Group in La Palma and the Joint Astronomy Centre in Hawaii.