Theoretical Physics Laboratory

The Theoretical Physics Laboratory of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki is an independent academic unit of the School of Physics of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. It was founded as a Division of Theoretical Physics by Royal Decree on 16 May 1969 and together with the Laboratory of Atomic and Nuclear Physics and the Laboratory of Accelerator Systems and Instrumental Applications, it constitutes the Department of Nuclear and Elementary Particle Physics of the School of Physics. On 18 July 2025, the Division of Theoretical Physics was abolished and the Laboratory of Theoretical Physics was established in its place, Government Gazette: B 3835/2025.

The Laboratory’s premises are located on the 4th floor of the Faculty of Sciences and include the offices of its members, a library/study area, and a seminar room.

The research interests of its members are:

Theoretical High Energy Physics.
Conformal Field Theories.
String Theory and Holography.
Theoretical Low and Intermediate Energy Physics (Exotic Nuclei Structure, Nuclear Structure).
Quantum Information.
Mathematical Physics of Complex Systems.

** More information regarding the academic and scientific activities of the Laboratory can be found here.

Anastasios Petkou

Professor

- Laboratory Director

Teaching Staff

Professor

Teaching Staff

Emeritus Professor

Emeritus Professor

Charalampos Moustakidis

Professor

Former Member

Assistant Professor

Assistant Professor

Emeritus Professor

Nuclear Astrophysics

The applications of Nuclear Physics in Astrophysics and mainly on the study of supernova and neutron stars are widely and very important. Open problems still remain on the above research. The problems concern a) the construction of the equation of state of nuclear matter up to very high values of the baryon density b) the study of pairing correlations and the superconductivity and superfluidity phenomenon on nuclear matter and c) the neutrino emission process of supernova and hot neutron stars.

Nuclear Structure

The nuclear structure study of finite nuclei is a fundamental activity in Theoretical Nuclear Physics. The mean field theory describes well the nuclear structure but experimental studies indicate that short-range correlations effects, between nucleons, must be taken into account. The study of the effect of short-range correlations is achieved by applying the many-body density matrix formalism. In general, the calculation of the density matrices, in Nuclear Physics, is very hard and complicated. The density-matrix can be evaluated by applying approximated methods. The knowledge of the many-body density matrices leads to the evaluation of the most important quantities of nuclear structure as the nuclear energy, the density and momentum distribution, the form factors, the quadrupole moments e.t.c.

Quantum Information

A. APPLICATIONS OF INFORMATION AND COMPLEXITY THEORIES IN CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM SYSTEMS. Information-theoretic applications in atomic nuclei, atomic clusters, atoms and correlated atoms in a trap. Development of models needed for those applications e.g. nuclear models, models for the atom e.t.c. Important results so far : A universal property for the information entropy. Quantitative measures for the complexity and self-organization of atoms and other quantum systems. Various practical interdisciplinary applications e.g. in EEG, aesthetics, politics, economics , biology e.t.c.

B. QUANTUM COMPUTERS. Theoretical research in methods of implementation of quantum computers. Quantum control theory.

Study of exotic nuclei structure

Theoretical Particle Physics

Mελέτη της Υπερσυμμετρίας και των συνεπειών της στη Φυσική Στοιχειωδών Σωματιδίων, σε επίγεια πειράματα στους μεγάλους επιταχυντές και σε κοσμολογικές παρατηρήσεις.