Particle Physics

Chen Ning Yang (杨振宁), Faculty (1955–66) and Member (1949–54) in the Institute for Advanced Study’s School of Mathematics/Natural Sciences, passed away on October 18, 2025 at the age of 103. At the Institute, he produced a body of work which redefined how scientists conceptualize the fundamental symmetries of the universe. 

The Max Planck-IAS-NTU Center (MPC) for Particle Physics, Cosmology, and Geometry is a new global research center established to better understand the universe at all scales. The collaborative initiative will be led by Co-Directors Nima Arkani-Hamed, Gopal Prasad Professor in the School of Natural Sciences, Johannes Henn (MPP), and Daniel Baumann (NTU), both past Members in the School.

Lorenz Eberhardt, Marvin L. Goldberger Member (2019–23) in the School of Natural Sciences, has been awarded the European Physical Society's 2025 Gribov Medal. Eberhardt's work was described as combining "profound physical insight, technical virtuosity, and mathematical rigor."

Tsung-Dao Lee (李政道), Member (1951–53, 1957–58) and Faculty (1960–62) in the Institute’s School of Mathematics/Natural Sciences, died on August 4. During his time at IAS, Lee was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics alongside his Institute colleague Chen-Ning Yang (楊振寧) for revolutionary work on parity violation which fundamentally changed our understanding of the laws of physics.

This June, around 230 physicists and mathematicians gathered at IAS to discuss the latest developments in the field of scattering amplitudes. The roots of the Amplitudes conference, held annually since 2009, can be found in seminal papers by Edward Witten, Professor Emeritus in the School of Natural Sciences, and his collaborators.

Sebastian Mizera, Member in the School of Natural Sciences, and his collaborators, have used computational algebraic geometry to study predictions for particle physics experiments, such as those at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). The team’s results were published in Physical Review Letters in March. 

At a workshop held at IAS in March, Sebastian Mizera, Member in the School of Natural Sciences, "met with fellow S-matrix enthusiasts. Inspired by recent progress, they continue to seek more universal rules that govern all S-matrices. [...] They focus on observations, striving to discover truths that will endure even when the shape of future theories remains uncertain."

In an article for Quanta, Isabel Garcia Garcia, past Member in the School of Natural Sciences (2022–23), discusses the latent possibilities of LISA, the first dedicated space-based gravitational wave observatory, currently scheduled to launch in the 2030s.

A two-week “marathon” workshop on S-matrix theory, organized by scholars from the School of Natural Sciences, brought together more than 40 cosmologists, particle theorists, and mathematicians from around the world to discuss future directions in the field. 

Edward Witten, Professor Emeritus in the School of Natural Sciences, has been awarded a Benjamin Lee Professorship by the Asia Pacific Center for Theoretical Physics (APCTP). The professorship was named for prominent South Korean physicist Benjamin Whisoh Lee, a frequent IAS Member.