Unravelling the Nature of Dark Matter and Electroweak Symmetry Breaking at Colliders

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

This is a particularly ripe time for research at the boundary between particle physics and astrophysics and cosmology. This is due, in large part, to the fact that data is soon expected to emerge from a plethora of experiments in both particle physics and astrophysics. These include the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), experiments seeking the direct and indirect detection of Dark Matter, and Cosmic Microwave Background probes such as Planck. Indeed, in many instances these different experiments are complementary to each other, each providing a different window into the as-yet-unexplored physics beyond the Standard Model. In this proposal, Professor Tait aims to explore new theories for physics at the electroweak scale which sit at this interface between particle physics, astrophysics, and cosmology. His goal is to understand new phenomena which may be manifest at these experiments, provide theoretical descriptions of phenomena as they are discovered, and eventually fit them into a larger theoretical framework. Specific short-term goals of the PI include exploration of the signals provided by models with weakly bound states of dark matter at colliders and in cosmology, and exploration of signals of the so-called "Beautiful Mirrors" model at the LHC.This effort is also envisioned to have several broader impacts. First, the PI will continue to participate in summer schools aimed at instructing graduate students working toward a PhD in theoretical or experimental high-energy physics. He will also compile a set of lecture notes which will be regularly updated, and include topics in the areas of collider physics and dark matter. These notes should provide an important resource for graduate students (or even postdocs and interested faculty in other subfields) in these rapidly evolving fields. Second, the PI plans outreach at the high-school level, to inform students (whose interests may lay outside the sciences) of the exciting advances taking place, and to encourage students to pursue a career in research.