About Brent Nelson
My research interests lie in the area of high energy particle physics beyond the Standard Model. In particular, I am interested in theoretical considerations and phenomenology that may be indicative of string theory in low-energy observations. The wide variety of my investigations are all geared towards answering one fundamental question: what observational evidence can be marshalled to bolster the proposition that some particular string theory construction is a strong candidate for an underlying theory of all interactions?
To truly make contact with the observable world a candidate string model must succeed on four fronts: (1) it must produce the Standard Model gauge group, particle content and superpotential couplings; (2) it must allow for moduli stabilization and supersymmetry breaking that produces a realistic phenomenology; (3) it must provide a realistic theory of inflation and an adequate explanation for the phenomena of dark matter, dark radiation, and dark energy; and (4) it must be capable of explaining any new physics signals found at the LHC and other upcoming experiments. My research seeks avenues of attack on each of these challenges.
Members of our group work in particle physics, cosmology, and string theory, often with overlap between the subjects.