Professor Mairi Sakellariadou
Telephone: +44 020 7848 1535
Email: mairi.sakellariadou@kcl.ac.uk
Office: SB7.18
Research Group: Theoretical Particle Physics & Cosmology
Office Hours: Tuesday 3-4pm
Biography
1976-80 Departement of Mathematics, University of Athens Degree in Mathematics (1980)
1981-84 Institute of Astronomy, Trinity College, University of Cambridge Certificate of Postgraduate Studies in Physics (1982); M. J. Rees (advisor)
Master of Sciences in Physics (1986); G. Efstathiou (advisor)
1984-90 Department of Physics and Astronomy, Tufts University
Master of Sciences in Physics (1986)
Doctor of Philosophy in Physics (1990); A. Vilenkin (supervisor)
Research Interests
My field of research is Theoretical Physics and Cosmology with emphasis on the Physics of the Early Universe. My research stands at the interface between cosmology, theoretical particle physics, and gravitational theories, testing the most advanced theories against the plethora of astrophysical, cosmological and high energy physics data. My research activity spans over the following directions:
*• String Theory motivated Cosmologies*
-- cosmic superstrings
-- brane inflation
-- brane ineractions
*• Supersymmetric Grand Unified Theories*
-- microphysics of cosmic strings
-- inflationary models
*• Loop Quantum Cosmology*
-- phenomenology
-- inhomogeneous or anisotropic spaces
*• Dark Energy / Dark Matter*
-- bi-metric theories
-- modified gravity
*• Noncommutative Spectral Geometry*
-- high energy phenomenology
-- cosmology
-- conceptual issues
My aim is to keep contributing to the collective scientific effort to uncover the early stages of the evolution of our universe and provide the means to test fundamental theories, using the early universe as our (unique) laboratory
Selection of Publications
For a full list of publicatons see here
Teaching
4CCP1600 Astrophysics 1
5CCP2621 Astrophysics 2
CP3131 Third Year Projects in Physics
PhD Students
Current:
Mr Spyros Sypsas
Previous:
Dr William Nelson(graduated 2009)
Dr Furqaan Yusaf(graduated 2010)
PhD Projects
Loop Quantum Cosmology (LQC)
Loop Quantum Gravity (LQG) is one of the most successful candidate theories for describing the quantum degrees of freedom of the gravitational field. LQG is a non-perturbative and background independent canonical quantisation of GR in 3+1 dimensions. Loop Quantum Cosmology (LQC) is the application of ideas and mathematical methods of the full LQG theory in the cosmological sector. By studying phenomenological consequnecs of LQC we may obtain information aboutthe early stages of our universe, the onset of inflation and the solution of the initial singularities, while we can gain some useful insight about the full LQG theory. Various phenomenological apects of LQC will be investigated.
Cosmic superstrings
Cosmic superstrings are expected to be formed at the end of brane inflation, within the context of brane-world cosmological models inspired from string theory. By studying properties of cosmic suprestring networks, and comparing their phenomenological consequences against observational data, we aim at pinning down the successful and natural inflationary model and get an insight into the stringy description of our universe. Dynamics and phenomenological consequences of cosmic superstring networks will be studied.
Noncommutative geometry
Noncommutative geometry can be used as a tool to understand the sructure of spacetime at the Planck scale. Such a modifications of the structure of spacetime may be important for the construction of physical theories.Phenomenological consequences of the idea that the world may be described by some kind of noncommutative theory, with a particular emphasis in cosmological models, will be studied.For further information, please contact
mairi.sakellariadou@kcl.ac.uk.