Michael Ramsey-Musolf
University of Wisconsin

3:30 PM, March 25, 2009 , Rm 128

Nuclear Physics and the New Standard Model

The quest to explain nature's fundamental interactions and how they shaped the evolution of the universe is one of the most compelling in modern science. The standard model of particle physics provides a partial explanation, but we know that it must be part of a larger, more complete framework. Experiments hoping to uncover details of the "new standard model" are being carried out at two frontiers: the high energy frontier, involving facilities such as the Large Hadron Collider, and the low-energy, high precision frontier, in which nuclear physicists are playing a leading role. In this talk, I describe the next generation of studies at the precision frontier and what we may expect them to teach us about the nature of the neutrino, the origin of matter, and the existence of new forces that were important at earlier times in the evolution of the cosmos.

Coffee and cookies before the presentation at 3:15 pm, and refreshments after the presentation will both be served in Room 128.