Special Issue on Naturalness
“Naturalness” has been one of the most popular concepts in particle physics. It suggested that the LHC would find physics beyond the Standard Model, with supersymmetry being the most widely expected candidate. However, so far there are no conclusive signals for supersymmetry or any other kind New Physics at the LHC. This has put the concept of Naturalness as a guiding principle in theoretical physics under pressure.
In spring 2018, Dr. Joshua Rosaler and Prof. Robert Harlander from TTK organized a workshop on Naturalness, Hierarchy, and Fine Tuning at RWTH Aachen University, within the framework of the DFG Research Group The Epistemology of the Large Hadron Collider. From this workshop has emerged a Special Issue in the journal Foundations of Physics, which is now available online. Co-edited by Rosaler and Harlander, it examines the Naturalness concept from physical, philosophical, as well as historical perspectives, thus representing a comprehensive and up-to-date account of this topic.