Research Interests

• Cosmology 
• Theoretical Astrophysics 
• Theoretical Particle Physics
  

Leonardo Senatore began a joint appointment as Assistant Professor in the Department of Physics and the Department of Particle Physics and Astrophysics (PPA) at SLAC, with primary appointment in Physics, in September, 2010. Senatore is a theoretical physicist who works at the interface between particle physics, astrophysics and cosmology, a research area that bridges traditional fields of research.  We anticipate that Senatore’s expertise and interests will allow him to make unique contributions to the Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology (in the Physics, Applied Physics, and PPA departments), the Stanford Institute for Theoretical Physics (Physics), and the SLAC Theory Group (PPA).

As an undergraduate in Italy, Senatore completed three years of a program in Aerospace Engineering at the Scuola Superiore S. Anna of Pisa, before switching to Physics and receiving his Laurea in Theoretical Physics from the Scuola Normale Superiore of Pisa in 2003. Senatore received his PhD from MIT in April 2006, and then was a postdoctoral researcher at Harvard and the Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton.

Senatore’s research focuses on particle physics and the very early Universe, ­ the period right after the Big Bang. Senatore has worked on the development of an effective field theory to describe inflation.  He works on the very important goal of identifying signatures of inflation that might be probed with experiments. Other research interests have included the development of improved techniques for the analysis of the cosmological data, as well as improving our understanding of eternal inflation.