My main research activity is devoted to Quantum Chromodynamics. QCD is the theory of strong interaction, whose ambition is to explain nuclei cohesion as well as neutron and proton structure, i.e. most of the visible matter in the Universe. It is one of the most elegant theory of Science History (with General Relativity); it has only very few parameters and allows to give a physical interpretation to a very broad range of phenomena using a well defined and very compact formalism. I have also recently started to work on quantum computing.
Lattice QCD:
The only systematic and rigorous method to solve QCD ab initio is Lattice QCD (LQCD). Proposed by Kenneth Wilson in 1974, its principle
is inspired by Statistical Physics and uses path integral formulation of QCD in Euclidian space.
LQCD aims at providing solutions of this
fundamental theory of matter, without uncontrolled hypothesis, and with accuracies which rival that
of experimental data. Calculations are based on stochastic methods and are
very demanding in terms of computing time.
I am member of the ETM Collaboration and my research topics in Lattice QCD include
- hadron spectrum
- nucleon structure
- non-perturbative renormalisation
- strong coupling constant determination
Perturbative QCD:
Perturbative QCD (pQCD) relies on one of the most striking properties of QCD: asymptotic freedom.
A critical link between theory and collider experiments is provided by the methods of perturbative QCD, which have proved
an invaluable tool in the study of the strong interactions.
pQCD calculations are especially important since the start of data taking at the Large Hadron Collider. LHC is indeed essentially a "QCD factory",
working in a energy range never explored before.
The discovery potential of the LHC depends crucially on the quality of QCD signals and background predictions.
My research interests in perturbative QCD focus on
- Evolution codes
- Markov Chain Monte Carlo methods
- PDFs uncertainties estimate
- strong coupling constant
For more informations, please do not hesitate to contact me directly.
Quantum Computing:
Brief CV
I prepared my PhD thesis from October 1998 to April 2001 at the Institut des Sciences Nucléaires (now L.P.S.C.). My thesis subject was the description of relativistic and non relativistic few-body systems (that is basically everything provided it is simple...). From September 2001 to September 2004, I have been working at CERN on ATLAS experiment as a research-assistant in Geneva University Physics Department. Since October 2004, I have been working in CNRS in the "Laboratoire de Physique Subatomique et de Cosmologie". I shared my time till February 2009 between cosmic rays physics (participating to AMS and CREAM experiments) and Lattice QCD. Since 2009, my activity is entirely devoted to QCD.