Department of Particle Physics

Itzhak Tserruya, Head


The Department of Particle Physics is engaged in both experimental and theoretical research, in various directions. These include elementary particle physics, relativistic heavy ion physics, field theory, string theory, molecular physics, nuclear physics, plasma physics, and radiation detection physics.


O. Aharony

Three dimensional gauge theories and their gravitational duals
O. Aharony, J. Maldacena, O. Bergman, D. Jafferis, A. Hashimoto, S. Hirano, P. Ouyang

Supersymmetric gauge theories and supersymmetry breaking
O. Aharony, E. Silverstein, S. Kachru, N. Seiberg

String theory description of large N QCD
O. Aharony, Z. Komargodski, E. Karzbrun

AdS/CFT correspondence and its generalizations
O. Aharony, J. Sonnenschein, S. Yankielowicz, A. Buchel, M. Berkooz, Y. Antebi

The Hagedorn and deconfinement phase transitions
O. Aharony, S. Minwalla, M. Van Raamsdonk, J. Marsano, K. Papadodimas, S. Hartnoll, A. Buchel, R. Yacobi, M. Mussel


A. Breskin

Basic phenomena, related to radiation detection, including charge transport and multiplication in gases, photoemission and secondary electron emission.
A. Breskin, R. Chechik

Novel particle and photon detection techniques for particle physics, x-ray diffraction. Bio-medicine, surface analysis.
A. Breskin, R. Chechik

Digital mammography, early detection of cancer, radiation damage to DNA.
A. Breskin, R. Chechik


E. Duchovni

Search for Supersymmetry with the ATLAS detector at CERN

  1.  Inclusive Search

  2.  Study of Gauge Mediated symmetry breaking

  3.  Study of R-Parity violating models

  4.  Study of Anomaly Mediated Symmetry breaking

Search for Fermiofobc Higgs with the OPAL detector at CERN


D. Gepner

Rational conformal field theory and solvable lattice models.


E. Gross

Higgs Physics with the ATLAS detector at the LHC
E. Gross, Students: Ohad Silbert and Ofer Vitells, Post Doc: Amit Klier

  1.  Search for Charged Higgs Boson

  2.  Search for Supersymmetric Higgs decaying into Muons

  3.  Search for Higgs via its decay to Tau Leptons

Muon Identification with the ATLAS detector at the LHC
E. Gross, Student: Ohad Silbert


S. Gurvitz

Multi-dimensional tunnelling.
S. Gurvitz, W. Nazarewicz, K. Kato

  1.  Two-potential approach to tunneling problems

  2.  Cluster decay

  3.  Complex scaling and the semi-classical approximation

  4.  Modified tunneling Hamiltonian

Final state interaction in inclusive reactions.
S. Gurvitz, M. Traini

  1.  Bjorken scaling and confinement

  2.  Higher twist corrections to nucleon structure functions

Quantum transport in mesoscopic systems and the measurement problem.
S. Gurvitz, G. Berman, D. Mozyrsky

  1.  Quantum rate equations for coherent transport

  2.  Relaxation and dephasing in a qubit measurement

  3.  Single-spin measurement and decoherence

  4.  Zeno effect and quantum description of classical apparatus


H. Harari

Neutrino Physics (Particle Physics, cosmology, astrophysics implications)

Patterns of quarks and leptons (masses, mixing, substructure)


M. Hass

Low-Energy nuclear resctions in astrophysics. Solar fusion reactions (neutrino oscillations) and nucleo-synthesis
M. Hass, Dr. Dan Berkovits, Soreq Nuclear Research Centre.

  1.  Low-energy fusion reactions, relevant to the solar neutrino issue. Exeriments at the Van de Graaff accelerator of the Weizmann Institute

  2.  Explosive nucleo-synthesis scenraios and the nuclear reactions playing a role in these astrophysical sites; x-ray bursts, supernoave, rp-process reactions

  3.  Development of techniques and tools for light radioactive beam production for nuclear astrophysics and neutrino physics. Connection to the SPIRAL-II facility at GANIL (France) and the SARAF accelerator at NRC Soreq


Y. Maron

Dynamics of plasmas, high-energy-density, plasmas, plasmas under pulsed magnetic fields, implications to fusion, transmission of high-current pulses, and space physics (in collaboration with the Technion, Holon Institute of Technology (Israel); Cornell University, NYU, Naval Research Laboratory, Sandia National Laboratories (USA); University of Jena, University of Rostock, GSI (Germany)).
Y. Maron, V. Bernshtam, R. Doron, V. Fisher, E. Kroupp, E. Stambulchik , A. Starobinets, L. Weingarten

  1.  Z-pinches and plasma switches.

  2.  Magnetic field penetration into and acceleration of plasmas, relation to space physics.

  3.  Imploding plasma.

  4.  Kinetics and transport in non-equilibrium plasmas.

  5.  Energy conversion in transient plasmas.

  6.  Turbulent electric fields.

Development of novel spectroscopic diagnostic methods for determining the properties of the plasma and the electric and magnetic fields (in collaboration with University of Maryland, NIST (USA), Lebedev Physical Institute (Russia)).
Y. Maron, V. Bernshtam, R. Doron, V. Fisher, E. Kroupp, E. Stambulchik , A. Starobinets, L. Weingarten

  1.  Spectral line profiles (broadening, shifts, forbidden components, and polarization).

  2.  Spectral line intensities.

  3.  Spectroscopy of highly stripped, heavy ions.

  4.  Visible-UV, VUV, to X ray regions.

Colision-Radiative-modeling: arbitrary electron-energy distribution, multi-component plasma; atomic calculations of cross sections and probabilities (in collaboration with NIST (USA), Lebedev Physical Institute (Russia)).
Y. Maron, V. Bernshtam, V. Fisher, E. Stambulchik , A. Starobinets, L. Weingarten

Plasma correlation effects and their influence on spectral line shapes.
Y. Maron, E. Stambulchik, D.V. Fisher

Electron states in dense plasmas, effects of statistical weights, kinetic modeling.
Y. Maron, D.V. Fisher. V. Fisher

Stark and Zeeman effects, field ionization (in collaboration with University of Maryland, NIST (USA), University of Rostock (Germany)).
Y. Maron, E. Stambulchik, V. Bernshtam, V. Fisher, A. Starobinets

Measurements of magnetic fields in dense turbulent plasmas.
Y. Maron, E. Stambulchik, R. Doron, S. Tessarin, B. Rubinstein, D. Mikitchuk


G. Mikenberg

Search for the standard-model and SUSY Higgs-bosons at LEP.
G. Mikenberg, E. Duchovni, E. Gross, L. Levinson, D. Lellouch

Detector development and study of physics for LHC.
G. Mikenberg, E. Duchovni, E. Gross, L. Levinson, D. Lellouch

Search for Supersymmetry at LEP.
G. Mikenberg, E. Duchovni, E. Gross, L. Levinson, D. Lellouch

Search for Higgs bosons and SUSY particles at LHC.
G. Mikenberg, E. Duchovni, E. Gross, L. Levinson, D. Lellouch

Trigger and data acquisition for LHC experiments.
G. Mikenberg, E. Duchovni, E. Gross, L. Levinson, D. Lellouch

Reconfigurable computing.
G. Mikenberg, E. Duchovni, E. Gross, L. Levinson, D. Lellouch


A. Milov

Identified particle production in Heavy Ion Collisions with the PHENIX experiment at RHIC

Global Obsevrables of the Heavy Ion Collisions with the ATLAS detector at LHC


Y. Nir

Flavor at the LHC
Y. Nir, J. Feng, S. French, Y. Grossman, G. Hiller, Y. Hochberg, C. Lester, Y. Shadmi

Particle cosmology
Y. Nir, K. Blum, J. Feng

Astroparticle physics
Y. Nir, K. Blum, E. Waxman


I. Tserruya

Study of ultra-relativistic heavy-ion collisions using the PHENIX detector at RHIC (Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider) at Brookhaven National Laboratory and the CERES detector at CERN
I. Tserruya, I. Ravinovich

R&D, construction and installation of an HBD (Hadron Blind Detector) for the PHENIX experiment at RHIC.
I. Tserruya, I. Ravinovich

Electron pair production in relativistic heavy ion collisions: search for quark-gluon plasma and chiral symmetry restoration.
I. Tserruya, I. Ravinovich


D. Zajfman

Molecular astrophysics.
D. Zajfman, O. Heber

Cooling of molecular ions and clusters, ion trap dynamics.
D. Zajfman, O. Heber

Molecular physics using storage rings.
D. Zajfman, O. Heber

Femtosecond laser photodynamics
D. Zajfman, Y. Silberberg, O. Heber