Florence sets up institute for the study of theoretical particle physics
The Italian National Institute for Nuclear Physics (INFN) and the University of Florence have signed an agreement establishing the Galileo Galilei Institute for Theoretical Physics (GGI), with a remit to organize and host small advanced workshops in theoretical particle physics in its broadest sense. The aim will be to have a significant impact on the corresponding research field. While various institutes for theoretical physics work along similar lines, an institution focused on the physics of fundamental interactions is still lacking in Europe; the GGI will fill this gap.
Each workshop will be devoted to a topic at the forefront of research and for a typical duration of two to three months will host some 10-30 participants, selected from those most active in the field within the international community. The purpose will be to foster discussions, confrontation of ideas, and collaborations among participants. It is expected that the institute will also have an important role in training young researchers.
The GGI is funded by INFN and is sponsored by INFN and the university. It is located in a building made available by the university on the historic hill of Arcetri, near the house where Galileo spent periods of his life and died in 1642.
The GGI's basic referent is the INFN Scientific Committee for Theoretical Physics, which will give its full support to the activities of the institute. These activities will be organized jointly by a Scientific Committee and an Advisory Committee. In the meantime, a Launching Committee has been appointed with the task of giving advice about scientific and management structures and of suggesting criteria for the formation of the Scientific and Advisory Committees. The members of the Launching Committee are David Gross, Giuseppe Marchesini, Alfred Mueller, Giorgio Parisi and Gabriele Veneziano (chair).
The first call for workshop proposals is expected in early 2005, and on 19-21 September 2005 a conference covering the topics of interest for the institute will be held in Arcetri to mark the official opening of the GGI. The first programme should run in the spring of 2006.
INFN presents the tools of the trade
For the World Year of Physics the Italian National Institute for Nuclear Physics (INFN) has prepared an interactive exhibition dedicated to the tools that physicists use to observe the world of elementary particles. "The Microscopes of Physics" aims to show what we know about the infinitely small and the infinitely large world that surrounds us. The exhibition also covers the technological applications of nuclear and sub-nuclear physics. Most of the exhibits are interactive and there are many simulations on computers.
The exhibition, divided into four "rooms", is directed at high-school students. In the first two rooms the exhibits, videos and interactive games aim to explain the working of particle accelerators and the experimental techniques used to explore the heart of matter and its fundamental constituents. At the end of the second room, thanks to a 3D video, it is possible to enter a virtual accelerator to understand what happens inside.
The third room is dedicated to the connection between studies of the infinitely small and the understanding of what happens in the universe, to arrive finally at the origin of everything that exists. The room begins with a 3D star model, where it is possible to enter and understand how the fundamental reactions in the heart of a star work.
The final room focuses on the applications that the technologies developed in the basic research have in other fields, from medical applications to heritage preservation.