Department of Theoretical Physics

Department of Theoretical Physics (TH), was founded in 1952 under the name "Group of Theoretical Studies" located in Copenhagen, under the guidance of Niels Bohr. It was then moved to Geneva together with the CERN experimental groups in 1957. In 2005, it was incorporated into the CERN Physics Department as the "Theory Unit". Since 2016 it once again became an independent department, the "Theoretical Physics Department".

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Activity reports

Year	Name of unit	CDS link
1955	Theoretical Studies Division (Copenhagen)	CERN Annual report 1955
1956	Theoretical Studies Division (Copenhagen)	CERN Annual report 1956
1957	Theoretical Studies Division (Copenhagen)	CERN Annual report 1957
1958	Theoretical Studies Division	CERN Annual report 1958
1959	Theoretical Studies Division	CERN Annual report 1959
1960	Theoretical Studies Division	CERN Annual report 1960
1961	Theoretical Studies Division	CERN Annual report 1961
1962	Theoretical Studies Division	CERN Annual report 1962
1963	Theoretical Studies Division	CERN Annual report 1963
1964	Theoretical Studies Division	CERN Annual report 1964
1965	Theoretical Studies Division	CERN Annual report 1965
1966	Theoretical Physics Department	CERN Annual report 1966
1967	Theoretical Physics Department	CERN Annual report 1967
1968	Theoretical Physics Department	CERN Annual report 1968
1969	Theoretical Physics Department	CERN Annual report 1969
1970	Theoretical Physics Department	CERN Annual report 1970
1971	Theoretical Physics Department	CERN Annual report 1971
1972	Theoretical Physics Department	CERN Annual report 1972
1973	Theoretical Physics Department	CERN Annual report 1973
1974	Theoretical Physics Department	CERN Annual report 1974
1975	Theoretical Physics Department	CERN Annual report 1975
1976	Theoretical Physics Division	CERN Annual report 1976
1977	Theoretical Physics Division	CERN Annual report 1977
1978	Theoretical Physics Division	CERN Annual report 1978
1979	Theoretical Physics Division	CERN Annual report 1979
1980	Theoretical Physics Division	CERN Annual report 1980
1981	Theoretical Physics Division	CERN Annual report 1981
1982	Theoretical Physics Division	CERN Annual report 1982
1983	Theoretical Physics Division	CERN Annual report 1983
1984	Theoretical Physics Division	CERN Annual report 1984
1985	Theoretical physics Division	CERN Annual report 1985
1987	Theoretical physics Division	CERN Annual report 1987
1988	Theoretical physics Division	CERN Annual report 1988
1989	Theoretical physics Division	CERN Annual report 1989
1990	Theoretical Physics Division	CERN Annual report 1990
1991	Theoretical Physics Division	CERN Annual report 1991
1993	Theoretical Physics Division	CERN Annual report 1993
1995	Theoretical Physics Division	CERN Annual report 1995
1996	Theoretical Physics Division	CERN Annual report 1996
1997	Theoretical Physics Division	CERN Annual report 1997
1998	Theoretical Physics Division	CERN Annual report 1998
1999	Theoretical Physics Division	CERN Annual report 1999
2000	Theoretical Physics Division	CERN Annual report 2000
2001	Theoretical Physics Division	CERN Annual report 2001
2002	Theoretical Physics Division	CERN Annual report 2002
2003	Theoretical Physics Division	CERN Annual report 2003
2004	Theoretical Physics Division	CERN Annual report 2004

Internal organization

Dates	Leaders
1955	C. Møller	The nucleus of the Theory Group was a four-man team comprising N. Bohr, C. Møller, J. Jacobsen, and S. Rozental. It was founded in May 1952, and was initially located in the Theoretical Physics Institute at the University of Copenhagen. The first theorists came to Geneva in 1954, and were based first at the University of Geneva, then in barracks at the airport. The work of the group included: Scientific research on fundamental problems of nuclear physics, including theoretical problems related to the focusing of ion beams in high energy accelerators. Training of young theoretical physicists. Development of active co-operation with the laboratories of Liverpool and Uppsala, whose machines and equipment had been placed at the disposal of CERN. In 1954 the CERN Theoretical Study Division was set up. The rest of Copenhagen group moved to Meyrin at CERN in 1957. In 1960 as the PS research experimental programme began, CERN had to adapt its internal structure to its changing tasks. The original six divisions were reorganized into twelve divisions. The role of Theoretical Studies (TH) Division was: theoretical physics research, and co-operation in the preparation of experimental programme and in the interpretation of the experimental results. In 1966 new departments, which remained until 1976 were formed by regrouping the existing divisions. The Theoretical Studies Division was integrated into the Theoretical Physics Department. In 1971 following approval for the construction of a second Laboratory adjoining the existing site, CERN was divided between two administrative units, Laboratory I and Laboratory II. TH Department was part of Laboratory I. In 1976 the two Laboratories were united. The departmental structure ceased and Theoretical Physics Department was renamed Theoretical Physics Division (TH). In 1986 the Scientific Information Service (SIS: Library and Archive), formerly part of DOC Department, was added to the TH Division. In 1990 the SIS Group moved in the new Administrative Support Division (AS).
1957	B. Ferretti
1959	M. Fierz
1960	L. van Hove
1966	J. Prentki
1970	B. Zumino
1973	D. Amati
1976	J. Prentki
1982	M. Jacob
1989	J. R. Ellis
1994	G. Veneziano
1997	G. Veneziano A. de Rújula
2000	A. de Rújula G. Altarelli
2004	In 2004 TH Division and Experimental Physics Division (EP) merged to form Physics Department (PH).
2016	G. Giudice	In 2016, the CERN management changed and adopted a new organizational structure. The Physics Department (PH) was split into two separate departments: Experimental Physics Department (EP) and Theoretical Physics Department (TH) located with the Information Technology Department (IT) in the Research and Computing Sector (RC). The TH Department carried out research on all subjects of relevance for theoretical particle physics: QCD, electroweak theory, collider phenomenology, physics beyond the standard Model, heavy ions, flavour physics, neutrino physics, lattice field theory, formal aspects of quantum field theory, string theory, cosmology, and astroparticle.
2026	U. Wiedemann
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