Beyond the Standard Model Higgs Boson: Exploring the Higgs sector at the LHC

随着在大型强子对撞机上发现希格斯玻色子，标准模型似乎是完整的，尽管一些深刻的问题仍未得到解答。其中一个谜是宇宙中物质-反物质不对称的起源（重子生成）和暗物质的本质。该研究项目以目前在瑞士日内瓦欧洲核子研究中心的质子-质子大型强子对撞机（LHC）上运行的CMS实验为中心。这项研究将利用CMS实验的数据加深我们对希格斯玻色子的理解，阐明希格斯玻色子物理学与标准模型之外的新物理学之间的联系。本工作还将支持高亮度大型强子对撞机CMS前向像素探测器的升级，重点研究读出芯片的设计、选择和测试。此外，将进行一项研究，以了解学生决定离开或留在UIC物理专业的原因。在标准模型中，在大型强子对撞机中产生的希格斯玻色子事件中，大约每60个事件中就有一个与Z玻色子有关。测量这一罕见的过程可能会对新物理学的影响很敏感。此外，这种最终状态可以由另一个更重的希格斯玻色子的衰变产生，它与观测到的希格斯玻色子具有不同的对称性。许多理论都预测到这种粒子，并可能回答重子形成的问题。暗物质粒子也可能在大型强子对撞机中产生，但它们的实验特征将是模糊的。希格斯玻色子的相关生产可能是标记这些相互作用并发现这种难以捉摸的粒子的独特方法。这项工作将为希格斯玻色子的衰变通道开发新的实验工具和分析方法，并将在对撞机数据分析中有其他应用。本研究的第二个方面是对CMS前向像素跟踪器进行升级，重点研究超出当前高带宽、低阈值和辐射容限能力的读出芯片。这项工作将侧重于测试原型芯片，并为CMS像素读出芯片的设计做出贡献，以便新的探测器将准备好建造。此外，通过数据收集，访谈和与其他大学的比较，将更好地了解影响学生决定留在或离开物理专业的原因。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

With the discovery of a Higgs boson at the LHC, the Standard Model appears to be complete although profound questions remain unanswered. One such mystery is the origin of the matter-antimatter asymmetry of the universe (baryogenesis) and the nature of dark matter. This program of research is centered on the CMS experiment currently running at the proton-proton Large Hadron Collider (LHC)at CERN in Geneva, Switzerland. This research will deepen our understanding of the Higgs boson using data from the CMS experiment to elucidate the connection between the physics of Higgs bosons and new physics beyond the Standard Model. This work will also support the upgrade of the CMS forward pixel detector for the high-luminosity LHC, with a focus on the design, selection, and testing of a read-out chip. In addition, a study will be carried out to understand the reasons why students decide to leave or remain in a physics major at UIC.In the Standard Model, about one out of sixty Higgs boson events produced at the LHC is produced in association with a Z boson. Measuring this rare process will be potentially sensitive to the influence of new physics. Further, this final state can be produced by the decay of an additional, heavier Higgs boson with different symmetry properties from the observed one. Such particles are predicted by many theories and can potentially answer the question of baryogenesis. Dark matter particles may also be produced at the LHC, but their experimental signature would be ambiguous. Associated production of a Higgs boson may be a unique way to flag these interactions and discover this elusive particle. This effort will develop new experimental tools and analyses for a decay channel of the Higgs boson, and will have other applications in collider data analysis. The second aspect of this research is to upgrade the CMS forward pixel tracker, focusing on readout chips that exceed current capabilities for high bandwidth, low threshold, and radiation tolerance. The work will focus on testing prototype chips and contributing to the design of the CMS pixel readout chip, so that the new detector will be ready for construction. In addition, through data collection, interviews, and comparison with other universities, understanding of the reasons affecting students' decision to stay with or leave the physics major will be improved.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.