Thematic areas and research groups
The Physics Department at Sapienza University of Rome is the largest among this discipline in Italy for number of faculty and students and hosts a vibrant research activity in the main areas of Fundamental and Applied Physics:
- Astronomy, Astrophysics and Geophysics
- Biophysics, Medical Physics, and Cultural Heritage
- Condensed Matter Physics and Physics of Biosystems
- Particle Physics and Fundamental Interactions
- Statistical and Mathematical Physics
Click on the links above to learn more, or take a look at our Scientific Report.
The various research areas differ in terms of experimental equipment, calculation tools and the extent of spin-offs, but they share the method of investigation and the approach to problem solving. So much so, that in many cases sectors quite far apart converge to address some fundamental issues. This is the case, for example, of Astrophysics and Particle Physics, which gave rise to Astroparticle Physics, to try to understand the signals coming from the most remote areas of the cosmos and the first moments of our Universe. Similarly, theories and methodologies developed in statistical mechanics are now valuable in the study of the functioning of complex biological systems.
Our Research Activity involves developing complex experimental equipment in-house or in the major Research Labs worldwide, developing theoretical models of different physical phenomena, and publishing scientific papers (around 600 per year) on the most prestigious international scientific journals. The Department hosts researchers from the main Italian Research Insitutes, such as the National Institute for Nuclear Physics (INFN), National Research Council (CNR), the National Institute for Astrophysics (INAF), the Italian Space Agency (ASI), and the Italian Institute of Technology (IIT). Our Department, the largest in Sapienza, hosts a total of about 300 active researchers. Teaching and research activities would not be possible without the essential contribution of the technical, administrative and library staff working for the Department.