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High Energy Physics

Modern Particle Physics is searching for answers to the profound questions in physics, including: What are the truly fundamental constituents of matter? Are there undiscovered particles which contribute to the “dark matter” in the Universe? What is the origin of mass? Are there hidden dimensions in the physics world? Are there new fundamental symmetries in Nature? Why is there more matter than antimatter in the Universe? In order to answer these and other questions, physicists build increasingly powerful accelerators colliding beams of particles at high energies. The conditions in these collisions reproduce in miniature the conditions at the birth of the Universe, or the so-called “Big Bang.” Not surprisingly, Particle Physics as a field is becoming inseparable from Astrophysics. At the University of Florida, experimental particle physics and astrophysics join forces in the Institute for High Energy Physics and Astrophysics and particle theorists are members of the Institute for Fundamental Theory. Both institutes are centered in the Physics Department.