Zonimir T. Hlousek

Professor, Elementary Particle Physics, Field Theory, Few Body Theory

Ph.D.   Brown University, Providence RI, 1987
M.Sc. Brown University, Providence RI, 1984
B.Sc. University of Zagreb, Zagreb Croatia, 1980

Location:
Office: PH2, Room 108

California State University, Long Beach
Department of Physics & Astronomy
1250 Bellflower Blvd.
Long Beach, CA 90840-3901

Phone: (562) 985-4854 Office
Fax:      (562) 985-7924
Email:   hlousek@physics.csulb.edu
            hlousek@csulb.edu

Webpage : http://www.physics.csulb.edu/~hlousek

Research Interest:
Quantum Gravity, Quantum Three Body Problem, Computational Methods

Elementary Particle Physics is the ultimate sub-nano theory and the frontier of Physics. The problem is to describe the most elemental objects that all matter and energy in the Universe is composed from. At present the best available and phenomenologicaly correct framework is the so-called Standard model. It consists of the unified theory of electrical and weak force and the theory of the strong force, QCD. However, the model is far from perfect. It lacks gravity and few of its elements are unnatural.

Over the past thirty years a framework originally known as String theory has emerged as the most viable candidate to remedy the maladies of the Standard model and to provide Unification with the Theory of Gravity.   String Theory in its most recent incarnation has proven to offer a natural framework within which it may be possible to build realistic and perhaps surprising models of known Universe. Original string theory was quite disconnected from observed phenomena for it operated at scales of about 10 -33 cm. This is a perfect scale for quantum gravity but is some seventeen orders of magnitudes smaller than the scale of the standard model that is around 10 -16 cm. Very recent developments involving structures that are present in the string theory have enabled us to now consider string effects at scales comparable to that of the standard model.  

A very exciting possibility exists that the experiments to be conducted utilizing new CERN accelerator, Large Hadron Collider (LHC), that will come on line in late 2007 and will carry out first experimental runs at full strength in early 2008, may be able to test some of the predictions of the theory. Most certainly we are on the eve of one of the most exciting times in Theoretical and Experimental Physics. States of matter that LHC will explore at its full strength of about 17TeV may be close to that at the time of the Big Bang.

Pushing 90 years of age, providing indisputably correct results when pragmatically applied, Quantum Physics is still a mysterious theory. One of the long-standing problems at heart of any realistic theory in any area of Physics is the problem of interaction of three bodies.   In the non-relativistic physics involving short-range interactions the problem has been solved formally by Faddeev equations. However, to calculate the properties of the system requires mastery of computational techniques. Even then, computers need to be fast to achieve precision. Relatively recently the computational power has become sufficient to tackle real systems. Also, in the process working with three-body problem with short-range forces we have learned how to include long-range interactions such as the Coulomb force. At the same time, the work on the three-body problem is an endeavor in determination of properties of real systems and an enterprise in exploration of rules of quantum mechanics.

In early nineties with collaborators I have solved the N=1 and N=2 supersymmetric string Liouville mode. It turned out more recently that this solution may be one of the keys in building realistic models of early cosmology and may help understanding of some aspects of pre-Big-bang state of the Universe. Also, study of topological aspects of N=1 supersymmetric theories has resulted in demonstration of existence of hidden supersymmetry in such theories. This too has implications for particle physics and perhaps beyond as topological properties alter in a dramatic way the spectrum of states of the model.

One of the peculiarities of the physical world is an existence in strictly two-dimensional world of particles that are neither bosons nor fermions. They are called anyons. The possibility of the existence of such objects has been demonstrated some thirty years ago. Despite the thirty years of age the quantum nature of the system involving more than two anyons is quite obscure. On the other hand, it has been shown that anyons exist as quasi-particles (a phase) in Fractional Quantum-Hall effect. More so, anyon related effects have been recently experimentally demonstrated in certain materials. The understanding of the few-body and many body theory of anyons is most certainly lacking. Yet, the present understanding of the system at the level of somewhat religious emergence!

With several colleagues I am working on applying successful methods, combination of analytical and numerical techniques, to few-body anyon problem and some other systems. We have developed a powerful technique that combines exact results of certain asymptotic Hamiltonians and utilizes the theory of continued fractions and numerical techniques using integral equations to provide an efficient method for calculating energy spectrum, bound states and resonances.   In some of our current work we are attempting to extend our understanding and computational techniques to system of anyons described as a planar molecule.