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[Assistant-faculty] proposed position in particle theory
Hello all,
Larry Ford and I, with the advice of both of our groups, has produced the
proposal for a
particle theory position that is attached.
We hope this is clear and to the point.
(Because our new email system sometimes garbles text files, I include the
text below.)
Gary
******************************************
Prof. Gary R. Goldstein
Department of Physics and Astronomy
Tufts University Medford, MA 02155
telephone:617-627-3591 office
617-627-3878 fax
email: gary goldstein tufts edu
website: http://www.tufts.edu/~ggoldste
********************************************
Department of Physics and Astronomy Faculty Position Request for 2011-2012
1. Position description
The Department of Physics and Astronomy requests the creation of a tenure
track assistant professor position in the field of phenomenological high
energy theory, preferably with connections to cosmology and/or
astroparticle
physics. To qualify for this position, a candidate must have a Ph.D. degree
in physics and postdoctoral experience in high energy theory. Some
experience
in research relating to the interface between high energy physics and
cosmology is
preferred. After joining the department, the candidate will be
expected to obtain external research funding, to teach undergraduate
and graduate courses on all levels, and to supervise graduate
student Ph.D. thesis research.
2. Rationale
High energy theory involves building and testing theoretical models
of the fundamental constituents of matter and their interactions.
Phenomenological theorists are especially concerned with comparing and
testing theoretical ideas with experimental or observational data. It has
been a
remarkably successful enterprise in recent years. A "Standard Model"
has been developed which predicted the existence of new types of particles
and fits very well with present data on particle
types and their interactions. In addition, theoretical cosmology has
made dramatic advances using insights from high energy physics. An
example is the inflationary model, which has correctly predicted the
primordial spectrum of density perturbations as measured by the WMAP
satellite. However, it is also clear that the current understanding is
incomplete, and new discoveries are likely. The existence of "dark
matter", the 25% of the universe's mass in unseen particles, and the
recent cosmic acceleration ("dark energy") are unexplained phenomena.
The Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN is just beginning to probe
new and higher energies. The resulting data may point to physics
beyond the Standard Model that could provide insights into more
unified theories, and possibly reveal new exotic effects,
such as small black holes or extra space-time dimensions.
On one level, Tufts is well positioned to participate in this exciting
endeavor. Two very active research programs in the department are
those in high energy physics, consisting of experimentalists (Profs.
Beauchemin,
Gallagher, Mann, Napier, Oliver, and Sliwa) and one theorist (Prof.
Goldstein),
and in theoretical cosmology (Profs. Blanco-Pillado, Ford, and Vilenkin).
The
experimental high energy physics group is searching for new phenomena in
neutrino oscillations and in particle collisions at the highest accessible
energies.
The theoretical cosmology group has been very active in topics such as
inflation,
dark energy and topological defects, which lie at the boundary between
cosmology and particle physics.
However, on another level, there is a significant gap. The Tufts high
energy theory group has long consisted on only one person, Prof. Gary
Goldstein. Although he remains very active, a one-person group is not
adequate to fully exploit the opportunities presented by the data
coming from accelerator experiments and cosmological observations. This
deficiency has long been recognized. Both the department's long range
plan of January 2007, and the report of the external visiting committee
of April 2007, called for the hiring of an additional high energy
theorist with links to cosmology. The position currently being
requested would fulfill these recommendations, and position the
department to participate more fully in cutting edge high energy and
cosmological research.
3. Plan for attracting minority and women applicants
The department is strongly committed to increasing the diversity of its
faculty. We would work with the Tufts Affirmative Action Office to
advertise the position widely, and use use informal contact to solicit
applications from underrepresented groups.
4. Resource needs
The primary needs of a theorist are a salary, office space, and some
computer equipment. We anticipate the need for a modest startup
package with funding for computer equipment and some student and/or
summer salary support.
Department of Physics and Astronomy Faculty Position Request for 2011-2012
1. Position description
The Department of Physics and Astronomy requests the creation of a tenure
track assistant professor position in the field of phenomenological high
energy theory, preferably with connections to cosmology and/or
astroparticle
physics. To qualify for this position, a candidate must have a Ph.D.
degree
in physics and postdoctoral experience in high energy theory. Some
experience
in research relating to the interface between high energy physics and
cosmology is
preferred. After joining the department, the candidate will be
expected to obtain external research funding, to teach undergraduate
and graduate courses on all levels, and to supervise graduate
student Ph.D. thesis research.
2. Rationale
High energy theory involves building and testing theoretical models
of the fundamental constituents of matter and their interactions.
Phenomenological theorists are especially concerned with comparing and
testing theoretical ideas with experimental or observational data. It has
been a
remarkably successful enterprise in recent years. A "Standard Model"
has been developed which predicted the existence of new types of particles
and fits very well with present data on particle
types and their interactions. In addition, theoretical cosmology has
made dramatic advances using insights from high energy physics. An
example is the inflationary model, which has correctly predicted the
primordial spectrum of density perturbations as measured by the WMAP
satellite. However, it is also clear that the current understanding is
incomplete, and new discoveries are likely. The existence of "dark
matter", the 25% of the universe's mass in unseen particles, and the
recent cosmic acceleration ("dark energy") are unexplained phenomena.
The Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN is just beginning to probe
new and higher energies. The resulting data may point to physics
beyond the Standard Model that could provide insights into more
unified theories, and possibly reveal new exotic effects,
such as small black holes or extra space-time dimensions.
On one level, Tufts is well positioned to participate in this exciting
endeavor. Two very active research programs in the department are
those in high energy physics, consisting of experimentalists (Profs.
Beauchemin,
Gallagher, Mann, Napier, Oliver, and Sliwa) and one theorist (Prof.
Goldstein),
and in theoretical cosmology (Profs. Blanco-Pillado, Ford, and Vilenkin).
The
experimental high energy physics group is searching for new phenomena in
neutrino oscillations and in particle collisions at the highest accessible
energies. The theoretical cosmology group has been very active in topics
such as inflation, dark energy and topological defects, which lie at the
boundary between cosmology and particle physics.
However, on another level, there is a significant gap. The Tufts high
energy theory group has long consisted on only one person, Prof. Gary
Goldstein. Although he remains very active, a one-person group is not
adequate to fully exploit the opportunities presented by the data
coming from accelerator experiments and cosmological observations. This
deficiency has long been recognized. Both the department's long range
plan of January 2007, and the report of the external visiting committee
of April 2007, called for the hiring of an additional high energy
theorist with links to cosmology. The position currently being
requested would fulfill these recommendations, and position the
department to participate more fully in cutting edge high energy and
cosmological research.
3. Plan for attracting minority and women applicants
The department is strongly committed to increasing the diversity of its
faculty. We would work with the Tufts Affirmative Action Office to
advertise the position widely, and use use informal contact to solicit
applications from underrepresented groups.
4. Resource needs
The primary needs of a theorist are a salary, office space, and some
computer equipment. We anticipate the need for a modest startup
package with funding for computer equipment and some student and/or
summer salary support.