Nima Arkani-Hamed
Encyclopedia
Nima Arkani-Hamed is a leading Canadian American theoretical physicist
with interests in high-energy physics, string theory
and cosmology
.
Formerly a professor at Harvard, Arkani-Hamed is now on the faculty at the prestigious Institute for Advanced Study
in Princeton, New Jersey.
and lived in Boston
. His parents were both physicists from Tabriz
, Iran. His family briefly returned to Iran after the 1979 revolution
, then left again and moved to Toronto
. Arkani-Hamed eventually became a Canadian
citizen.
Arkani-Hamed graduated from the University of Toronto
with a Joint Honours degree in Mathematics
and Physics
, and went to the University of California, Berkeley
for his graduate studies, where he worked under the supervision of Lawrence Hall. He completed his PhD in 1997 and went to SLAC at Stanford University for post-doctoral studies. During this time he worked with Savas Dimopoulos
on large extra dimension
s.
In 1999 he joined the faculty of the University of California, Berkeley
physics department. He took a leave of absence from Berkeley to visit Harvard University
beginning January 2001. Shortly after arriving at Harvard he worked with Howard Georgi
and Andrew Cohen on the idea of emergent extra dimensions, dubbed dimensional deconstruction
. These ideas eventually led to the development of little Higgs
theories.
He officially joined Harvard's faculty in the fall of 2002. Arkani-Hamed has appeared on various television programs and newspapers talking about space, time and dimensions and the current state of theoretical physics. In 2003 he won the Gribov Medal of the European Physical Society
, and in the summer of 2005 while at Harvard he won the 'Phi Beta Kappa' award for teaching excellence.
Arkani-Hamed participated in the Stock Exchange of Visions
project in 2007.
In 2008 Arkani-Hamed won the Raymond and Beverly Sackler Prize given at Tel Aviv University
to young scientists who have made outstanding and fundamental contributions in Physical Science.
He was elected a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
in 2009. In 2010 Arkani-Hamed gave the Messenger lectures
at Cornell University.
He was a Professor of Physics at Harvard University from 2002–2008, and is now a Faculty member of the Institute for Advanced Study
.
Physics
Physics is a natural science that involves the study of matter and its motion through spacetime, along with related concepts such as energy and force. More broadly, it is the general analysis of nature, conducted in order to understand how the universe behaves.Physics is one of the oldest academic...
with interests in high-energy physics, string theory
String theory
String theory is an active research framework in particle physics that attempts to reconcile quantum mechanics and general relativity. It is a contender for a theory of everything , a manner of describing the known fundamental forces and matter in a mathematically complete system...
and cosmology
Cosmology
Cosmology is the discipline that deals with the nature of the Universe as a whole. Cosmologists seek to understand the origin, evolution, structure, and ultimate fate of the Universe at large, as well as the natural laws that keep it in order...
.
Formerly a professor at Harvard, Arkani-Hamed is now on the faculty at the prestigious Institute for Advanced Study
Institute for Advanced Study
The Institute for Advanced Study, located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States, is an independent postgraduate center for theoretical research and intellectual inquiry. It was founded in 1930 by Abraham Flexner...
in Princeton, New Jersey.
Academic career
Arkani-Hamed was born on April 5, 1972 in Houston, TexasHouston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
and lived in Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
. His parents were both physicists from Tabriz
Tabriz
Tabriz is the fourth largest city and one of the historical capitals of Iran and the capital of East Azerbaijan Province. Situated at an altitude of 1,350 meters at the junction of the Quri River and Aji River, it was the second largest city in Iran until the late 1960s, one of its former...
, Iran. His family briefly returned to Iran after the 1979 revolution
Iranian Revolution
The Iranian Revolution refers to events involving the overthrow of Iran's monarchy under Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi and its replacement with an Islamic republic under Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the leader of the...
, then left again and moved to Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
. Arkani-Hamed eventually became a Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
citizen.
Arkani-Hamed graduated from the University of Toronto
University of Toronto
The University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...
with a Joint Honours degree in Mathematics
Mathematics
Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
and Physics
Physics
Physics is a natural science that involves the study of matter and its motion through spacetime, along with related concepts such as energy and force. More broadly, it is the general analysis of nature, conducted in order to understand how the universe behaves.Physics is one of the oldest academic...
, and went to the University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
for his graduate studies, where he worked under the supervision of Lawrence Hall. He completed his PhD in 1997 and went to SLAC at Stanford University for post-doctoral studies. During this time he worked with Savas Dimopoulos
Savas Dimopoulos
Savas Dimopoulos is a Greek particle physicist at Stanford University. He was born in Istanbul, Turkey and later moved to Athens due to ethnic tensions in Turkey during the 1950s and 1960s. Dimopoulos studied as an undergraduate at the University of Houston...
on large extra dimension
Large extra dimension
In particle physics, models with universal extra dimensions propose that there are one or more additional dimensions beyond the three spatial dimensions and one temporal dimension that are observed...
s.
In 1999 he joined the faculty of the University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
physics department. He took a leave of absence from Berkeley to visit Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
beginning January 2001. Shortly after arriving at Harvard he worked with Howard Georgi
Howard Georgi
Howard Mason Georgi III, born January 6, 1947 in San Bernardino, California, is Harvard College Professor and Mallinckrodt Professor of Physics at Harvard University...
and Andrew Cohen on the idea of emergent extra dimensions, dubbed dimensional deconstruction
Dimensional deconstruction
In theoretical physics, dimensional deconstruction is a method to construct d-dimensional theories that behave as higher-dimensional theories in a certain range of energies...
. These ideas eventually led to the development of little Higgs
Little Higgs
In particle physics, little Higgs models are based on the idea that the Higgs boson is a pseudo-Goldstone boson arising from some global symmetry breaking at a TeV energy scale...
theories.
He officially joined Harvard's faculty in the fall of 2002. Arkani-Hamed has appeared on various television programs and newspapers talking about space, time and dimensions and the current state of theoretical physics. In 2003 he won the Gribov Medal of the European Physical Society
European Physical Society
The European Physical Society is a non-profit organization whose purpose is to promote physics and physicists in Europe. Formally established in 1968, its membership includes the national physical societies of 41 countries, and some 3200 individual members. The Deutsche Physikalische Gesellschaft,...
, and in the summer of 2005 while at Harvard he won the 'Phi Beta Kappa' award for teaching excellence.
Arkani-Hamed participated in the Stock Exchange of Visions
Stock Exchange of Visions
The Stock Exchange of Visions is a project initiated in 2006 by Fabrica, Benetton's research center. It gathers visionaries from diverse nationalities and cultures, who hail from a wide range of specialties, to provide insight into their vision for the future....
project in 2007.
In 2008 Arkani-Hamed won the Raymond and Beverly Sackler Prize given at Tel Aviv University
Tel Aviv University
Tel Aviv University is a public university located in Ramat Aviv, Tel Aviv, Israel. With nearly 30,000 students, TAU is Israel's largest university.-History:...
to young scientists who have made outstanding and fundamental contributions in Physical Science.
He was elected a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
American Academy of Arts and Sciences
The American Academy of Arts and Sciences is an independent policy research center that conducts multidisciplinary studies of complex and emerging problems. The Academy’s elected members are leaders in the academic disciplines, the arts, business, and public affairs.James Bowdoin, John Adams, and...
in 2009. In 2010 Arkani-Hamed gave the Messenger lectures
Messenger Lectures
The Messenger Lectures are a prestigious series of talks given by leading scholars and public figures at Cornell University. They were founded in 1924 by a gift from Hiram Messenger and are regarded as one of the most important of Cornell's extracurricular activities.There were initially "twelve...
at Cornell University.
He was a Professor of Physics at Harvard University from 2002–2008, and is now a Faculty member of the Institute for Advanced Study
Institute for Advanced Study
The Institute for Advanced Study, located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States, is an independent postgraduate center for theoretical research and intellectual inquiry. It was founded in 1930 by Abraham Flexner...
.
Selected works
- The paradigm of "large extra dimensions" (with Gia DvaliGia DvaliGeorgi Dvali is a professor of physics at LMU Munich and a director at the Max Planck Institute for Physics. He received his Ph.D. in high energy physics and cosmology from Tbilisi State University, Georgia in 1992...
and Savas DimopoulosSavas DimopoulosSavas Dimopoulos is a Greek particle physicist at Stanford University. He was born in Istanbul, Turkey and later moved to Athens due to ethnic tensions in Turkey during the 1950s and 1960s. Dimopoulos studied as an undergraduate at the University of Houston...
):
-
- DeconstructionDimensional deconstructionIn theoretical physics, dimensional deconstruction is a method to construct d-dimensional theories that behave as higher-dimensional theories in a certain range of energies...
(with Howard GeorgiHoward GeorgiHoward Mason Georgi III, born January 6, 1947 in San Bernardino, California, is Harvard College Professor and Mallinckrodt Professor of Physics at Harvard University...
and Andrew Cohen):
- Deconstruction
-
- Little HiggsLittle HiggsIn particle physics, little Higgs models are based on the idea that the Higgs boson is a pseudo-Goldstone boson arising from some global symmetry breaking at a TeV energy scale...
theories:
- Little Higgs
-
- Ghost condensation:
-
- Split supersymmetrySplit supersymmetryIn particle physics, split supersymmetry is a recent proposal for new physics beyond the Standard Model. It was proposed separately in three papers. The first by James Wells in June 2003 in a more modest form that mildly relaxed the assumption about naturalness in the Higgs potential...
(with Savas DimopoulosSavas DimopoulosSavas Dimopoulos is a Greek particle physicist at Stanford University. He was born in Istanbul, Turkey and later moved to Athens due to ethnic tensions in Turkey during the 1950s and 1960s. Dimopoulos studied as an undergraduate at the University of Houston...
):
- Split supersymmetry
-
- Dark Matter:
-
- Scattering Amplitudes:
External links
- Elizabeth Landau, " Colliding with nature's best-kept secrets", CNN, 9 May 2008 (accessed 10 May 008).
- Arkani-Hamed's papers in SPIRES database
- Faculty page at Harvard University
- Stock Exchange Of Visions: Visions of Nima Arkani-Hamed (Video Interviews)
- homepage at ias