IFAE Research Groups

Theory Division

  • Theory Division

    The IFAE Theory division research focuses on Standard Model, Flavor Physics, Beyond the Standard Model, and Astroparticle and Cosmology issues. The divison is led by O. Pujolàs and its work comprises three main lines of research:

    Standard Model Physics and Flavor Physics (in and beyond the Standard Model)

    Its research objectives are to apply Effective Field Theories (EFTs) to different (in scale) physical systems, ranging from bound states to binary systems, to use Flavour Physics as an effective tool for discovery by means of B-meson decays, to better establish the foundations of the Operator Product Expansion (OPE) as a tool for theoretical analyses in quantum field theories, to further improve the hadronic contributions to the muon anomalous magnetic moment aiming for a reduction of the theoretical error to pave the way for clean physics beyond the Standard Model (BSM) analyses, and to utilize meson physics as a laboratory for testing QCD at low energies and searching for new physics.

    Recent highlights include a leading work on the theoretical framework underpinning the so-called B-flavour anomalies using both semileptonic and more recently non-leptonic B decays to detect first evidence of new physics, a new hyper-asymptotic approximation to the OPE, and a precise determination of the strong coupling constant below the charm threshold.

    This research line is led by J. Matias.

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    Beyond the Standard Model physics

    Advancing the knowledge of fundamental particles and interactions requires studying the Standard Model in a broader context. On one hand, this enables a systematic experimental exploration that can lead to the discovery of new fundamental physical laws, or to a better understanding of the Standard Model validity. On the other hand, the Standard Model lacks explanations of several facts including the origin of the flatness and largeness of the Universe, the origin of baryons and dark matter, the smallness of the Higgs mass (the hierarchy problem), or the smallness of the theta-term (the strong CP problem), among others.

    BSM ideas are needed to understand these mysteries. With this mission in mind, the group has proposed several BSM models and scenarios, exploring their collider manifestations and guiding LHC experimental exploration.

    The group is also contributing to Statistical Data Analysis and Statistical Learning (AKA Machine Learning) methodological developments primarily aimed at BSM searches and is strongly involved in future high-energy colliders design studies.

    The group is actively pursuing theoretical advances to extend our present knowledge on the landscape of possible Effective Field Theories (EFTs) for particle physics and cosmology. In particular, it has developed the use of holography (the AdS/CFT approach) for the study of strongly-coupled systems, and the use of Amplitude Methods to understand the quantum nature of EFTs.

    This research line is led by A. Pomarol.

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    Astroparticle Physics and Cosmology

    Working on dark energy, dark matter models, baryogenesis, gravitational waves (GW) physics and on the applications of the gauge/gravity duality to condensed matter physics.

    Group members have made important contributions to scenarios where gravity is modified at large distances and to Lorentz-violating scenarios of quantum gravity. The group has an extended research record on axion physics and has produced impactful results in the physics of primordial black holes, ultra-light dark matter scenarios and GWs.

    This research line is led by D. Blas.

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  • Group Members

    Theory Division

    Staff Researchers

    • Diego Blas

      Diego Blas

    • Rafel Escribano

      Rafel Escribano

    • Pere Masjuan

      Pere Masjuan

    • Eduard Masso

      Eduard Masso

    • Joaquim Matias

      Joaquim Matias

    • Antoni Méndez

      Antoni Méndez

    • Clara Murgui

      Clara Murgui

    • Ramon Pascual

      Ramon Pascual

    • Santi Peris

      Santi Peris

    • Antonio Pineda

      Antonio Pineda

    • Àlex Pomarol

      Àlex Pomarol

    • Oriol Pujolàs

      Oriol Pujolàs

    • Mariano Quirós

      Mariano Quirós

    • Fabrizio Rompineve

      Fabrizio Rompineve

    • Andrea Wulzer

      Andrea Wulzer

    Postdoc Researchers

    • Aritra Biswas

      Aritra Biswas

    • Bernat Capdevila

      Bernat Capdevila

    • Ziyu Dong

      Ziyu Dong

    • M. Herrero

      M. Herrero

    • Alejandro Miranda

      Alejandro Miranda

    • Emilio Royo

      Emilio Royo

    • Juan Sebastián Valbuena

      Juan Sebastián Valbuena

    • Rodrigo Vicente

      Rodrigo Vicente

    PhD Students

    • Clara Fernández

      Clara Fernández

    • Silvia Gasparotto

      Silvia Gasparotto

    • Angel Gil

      Angel Gil

    • Francesco Montagno

      Francesco Montagno

      • Camilo Rojas

        Camilo Rojas

      • Lindber Salas

        Lindber Salas

      • Francesco Sciotti

        Francesco Sciotti

      • Fabio Van Dissel

        Fabio Van Dissel

    • Publications

      Theory Division

    • Group News

      New Member

      New Member in the Theory Division

      January 17, 2024

      Bernat Capdevila has joined the Theory Group at IFAE and the UAB Physics Department as Postdoc Researcher.

      Award

      Researcher Fabrizio Rompineve receives the Buchalter Cosmology Prize

      January 16, 2024

      Fabrizio Rompineve, researcher at the UAB Department of Physics and at the Institut de Física d’Altes Energies (IFAE), has been awarded the Buchalter Cosmology Prize for his research on gravitational waves from the early universe.

      New Member

      New Member in the Theory Division

      November 13, 2023

      Clara Murgui joins the Theory Division as a Beatriz de Galindo Junior Researcher.

      New Publication

      New Gamma-ray group publication

      September 6, 2023

      Gammapy: A Python package for gamma-ray astronomy ” by Cosimo Nigro and others has been accepted and selected as a highlight paper in Astronomy & Astrophysics.

      New Publication

      New Theory group publication

      September 6, 2023

      Two papers by Santi Peris and collaborators have been published by Phys. Rev. D and selected as Editors’ Suggestion.

      New Publication

      New COVID group paper

      January 25, 2023

      Stochastic simulation of successive waves of COVID-19 in the province of Barcelona has been published in the Infectious Disease Modelling journal by the IFAE COVID grup in collaboration with Centre d’Estudis Demogràfics (CED) and the Internet Research Center (i2CAT).