Particles, Astroparticles, Cosmology: Theory – PACT
Manager: Felix BRÜMMER
Introduction
PACT is a research team of theoretical physicists working on topics dealing with the infinitely small (elementary particle physics), the infinitely large (astrophysical and cosmological scales), and the inter-connections between these two extremes.
Among the key topics investigated in the group, one finds: the building and study of particle theories beyond the standard model (BSM) in which new particles and interactions may arise, potentially unifying on energy scales close to the Planck mass; the theoretical and phenomenological exploration of the dark matter problem in astrophysics and cosmology, from model-building perspectives to the assessment of the best strategies to search for signatures in astrophysical, cosmological, or laboratory observables; the study of the primordial universe (inflation, generation of the matter-antimatter asymmetry, primordial magnetic fields, etc.).
The PACT team at the LUPM is composed of 8 permanent researchers and faculties, a few emeriti, and several postdocs and PhD students. It has scientific ties with the TIF team at the neighbor L2C laboratory, which hosts 3 permanent researchers.
Research topics
PACT’s expertise in the theoretical particle physics is relevant to several topics:
– Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model (MSSM) or its extension with singlets (NMSSM, N2MSSM).
– SUSY breaking models (supergravity, GMSB).
– Computation of SUSY particle spectrums by dedicated codes (NMSSMTools).
– Theoretical and experimental constraints on SUSY models.
– Collider signatures of new physics.
– Effective field theories applied to new physics searches and to dark matter.
– QCD spectral sum rules.
– Operator valued distribution functions in QFTs.
– Top quark and Higgs boson phenomenology – connections with new physics searches.
The bulk of PACT’s activities in astroparticle physics and cosmology comprises:
– Dark matter particle model building; primordial black holes.
– Study of dark matter production mechanisms and decoupling in the early universe.
– Particle dark matter searches (WIMPs, gravitinos, axions, dark photons, etc.).
– Theoretical predictions for indirect dark matter searches using: BBN, the CMB, gamma rays, antimatter cosmic rays.
– Theoretical predictions for direct dark matter searches.
– Structuring and dynamics of dark matter on small scales (subhalos) and impact on searches.
– Phase-space distribution of dark matter in structures.
– Early universe: inflation, BBN, primordial magnetic fields, primordial black holes, baryogenesis, dark energy.
– High-energy astrophysics: Galactic cosmic rays, cosmic antimatter, gamma-rays (standard vs. exotic production).
Hosted projects
- ANR/GaDaMa – Julien LAVALLE
- ERC/SG/NewRecords – Vivian POULIN
Team Members
- Permanent staff
- BRÜMMER Felix (U. Montpellier, Team Manager)
- DAVIDSON Sacha (CNRS)
- FLEURY Pierre (CNRS)
- HUGONIE Cyril (U. Montpellier)
- JEDAMZIK Karsten (CNRS)
- LARENA Julien (U. Montpellier)
- LAVALLE Julien (CNRS)
- MOUTLAKA Gilbert (CNRS)
- POULIN Vivian (CNRS)
- PUY Denis (U. Montpellier)
- PhD students, post-docs and emeritus
- DUBOSCQ Théo (PhD st., U. Montpellier)
- FERRANTE Giacomo (PhD st., CNRS/IN2P3)
- HOGG Natalie (PD, CNRS-IN2P3)
- MONTANDON Thomas (PD, ERC/CNRS)
- PLOMBAT Hugo (PhD st., U. Montpellier)
- POUDOU Adèle (PhD st., ERC/CNRS)
- SIMON Théo (PhD st., CNRS-IN2P3)
- TEIXEIRA Elsa (PD, ERC/CNRS)
- CAPDEQUI-PEYRANÈRE Michel (U. Montpellier)
- GRANGÉ Pierre (CNRS)
- NARISON Stephan (CNRS)
- Visitors
- SANDICK Pearl, Pr. (U. of Utah) → Dec. 31, 2024
- Former members of the team
- ABUH-AJAMIEH Fayez (PD OCEVU) → (2019)
- ARDU Marco (PhD st., CNRS/IN2P3) -> IFIC Valencia (2023)
- DESAI Nishita (PD OCEVU) → Tata Institute (2018)
- FACCHINETTI Gaétan (PhD st., ENS & U. Montpellier) → ULB-Brussels (2021)
- FRANCO ABELLAN Guillermo (PhD st., U. Montpellier) -> GRAPPA Amsterdam (2022)
- LACROIX Thomas (PD CNRS) → IFT-Madrid (2019)
- MURGIA Riccardo (PD CNRS)
- PETAC Mihael (PD, ANR-GaDaMa)
- RENARD Fernand (CNRS) → retired (2019)
- RUFFAULT Ronan (PhD st., U. Montpellier) → high-school teacher (2018)
- SCARCELLA Francesca (PD, ANR-GaDaMa)
- STREF Martin (PhD & ATER U. Montpellier) → LAPTh-Annecy (2019)
Link to the shared seminar agenda of the PACT (LUPM) and TIF (L2C) groups:
https://coulomb.umontpellier.fr/Seminaires-TIF-PACT?lang=en
Link to the TIF-L2C group webpage:
https://coulomb.edu.umontpellier.fr/recherche/physique-theorique-pth/theorie-des-interactions-fondamentales-tif/
Team publications