QCD Physics and Beyond the Standard Model on the Lattice

太平洋格子小组(PLG)的研究包括通过超级计算机模拟和理论物理计算来研究物质在亚原子尺度上的基本行为。该计划有三个补充部分，都涉及对强相互作用粒子的研究。一个主题是从基本原理上理解只有几个基本的积木-量子色动力学(QCD)的夸克和胶子--如何以复杂的方式结合在一起，产生实验观察到的状态，如质子、中子和其他在加速器中发现的更奇异的粒子。这项工作的第二部分探索了夸克禁闭的机制，也就是为什么夸克在自然界中不能单独观察到，而是总是被QCD的一些不完全理解的方面限制在多个夸克组合上。最后，第三条线索研究了欧洲核子研究中心大型强子对撞机(LHC)的新实验计划可能发现一种全新的基本粒子族的可能性，这些基本粒子族的强相互作用使它们迄今无法被观测到，这些粒子结合在一起形成了标准模型预测的唯一尚未发现的粒子--“希格斯”粒子。这三条线索都涉及密集的大规模计算机模拟，需要高端计算资源和在格子场理论框架内发展的尖端模拟技术相结合。这个计划的更广泛的意义是促进当前对物质基本性质的理解。具体地说，粒子物理界正在为不久的将来的重大新发现做准备，因为大型强子对撞机等新实验的启动，加上超大规模的计算能力，使得以新的和更详细的方式探索理论思想成为可能。这项研究计划正是在这个关头。在开展这些研究的同时，还建立了一个现代数据共享机制，并开展了一项活跃的推广方案，影响着K-12学校和社区。这项研究也是在一个以本科生为主的机构进行的，因此提供了一个涉及本科生培训的活跃研究场所。

The research of the Pacific Lattice Group (PLG) involves investigations into the fundamental behavior of matter at subatomic scales via supercomputer simulations and calculations of theoretical physics. There are three complimentary strands to the program, all involving study of strongly-interacting particles. One theme is to understand from basic principles how only a few fundamental building blocks --- the quarks and gluons of Quantum ChromoDynamics (QCD) --- combine in complex ways to generate experimentally observed states such as the proton, neutron, and other more exotic particles found at accelerators. The second strand of the work explores the mechanism of quark confinement, namely the puzzle of why quarks cannot be observed individually in Nature, but are instead always restricted to multiple quark combinations by some not-fully understood aspects of QCD. Finally, the third strand studies the possibility that the new experimental program at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN might discover a whole new family of fundamental particles, whose strong interactions have prevented them from being observed to date, and which combine to form the ``Higgs'' particle, the only remaining particle predicted by the Standard Model which has not been found. All three strands involve intensive large-scale computer simulations, requiring high-end computational resources combined with cutting-edge simulation techniques, developed within the framework of lattice field theory.The broader significance of this program is to advance the current understanding of the fundamental nature of matter. Specifically, the particle physics community is preparing for major new discoveries in the near future as new experiments such as the LHC start, coupled with very large-scale computing power making possible the exploration of theoretical ideas in new and more detailed ways. This research program sits precisely at this juncture. These studies are coupled with the development of a modern data-sharing mechanism and a lively outreach program affecting K-12 schools and the community. This research is also taking place at a predominantly undergraduate institution, and thus provides an active research site involving the training of undergraduates.