UCLA
Quantum Chromodynamics (QCD) is one of the pillars of the Standard Model of particle physics. It describes the strong interaction - one of the four fundamental forces of nature. This force holds quarks and gluons - collectively known as partons - together in hadrons such as the proton, and protons and neutrons together in atomic nuclei. QCD was developed and defined over a brief period from 1972 - 73. One hallmark of QCD is asymptotic freedom, which states that the strong force between quarks and gluons decreases with increasing energy. Asymptotic freedom was discovered in 1973 by David Gross, Frank Wilczek, and David Politzer, who shared the Nobel Prize in physics in 2004. The year 2023 is the opportune time to celebrate 50 years of remarkable progress and achievements in the field of QCD and to provide guidance for the community effort for years to come.
To celebrate this, a five-day conference “50 Years of QCD” will be held at UCLA from September 11 - 15, 2023. This conference will provide a broad overview of the past and future of QCD, including its impact on and connection to other fields.