RUI: Uncovering the Particle Nature of Hidden Sectors

该RUI奖资助了Harvey Mudd学院Brian Shuve教授的研究活动。构成宇宙中大部分物质的暗物质的性质，以及物质多于反物质的起源，是粒子物理学中两个主要的突出问题。这些现象只有在存在迄今为止尚未被探测到的新粒子和力的情况下才能得到解释；这组迄今未知的粒子被称为“隐藏区”。Shuve教授的研究设计和调查了隐藏部门的理论，目的是更彻底地理解它们如何解释标准模型中无法解释的问题。Shuve教授还研究了隐藏扇区的实验表现，提出了隐藏扇区粒子的新经验测试，并研究了新粒子的信号如何隐藏在现有实验数据中。这项研究促进了基础科学最重要方面之一的进步，即发现新的物理定律，提高对宇宙内容和结构的理解，从而促进了国家利益。该项目还具有显著的更广泛的影响：本科生研究人员是项目成功的组成部分，来自代表性不足群体的学生的参与和培训将被优先考虑。这项研究将导致粒子物理研究工具的发展，这些工具可供本科生研究人员使用并公开使用。Shuve教授还将举办公开讲座，以扩大人们对粒子物理学的认识和兴趣，并为未来的第一代大学生和来自不同背景的学生开展宣传和招聘活动。在更技术性的层面上，Shuve教授将对动机良好的多成分隐藏部门进行详细的现象学研究，并将为实验搜索设计新的策略。研究的一个重点将是隐藏的部分，包括右手中微子，它可以解释中微子的质量，重子的不对称性，和暗物质。Shuve教授的研究将使用模拟数据和分析计算来绘制出当前实验的敏感性以及覆盖范围的差距。作为一个具体的例子，Shuve教授将领导一项签名驱动的研究，研究在低能b工厂对撞机和大型强子对撞机上发现新的隐藏扇区粒子的前景。这将导致长寿命粒子的综合搜索策略的发展和提出，从而增强实验发现新粒子的前景。最后，Shuve教授将研究隐藏扇区的宇宙学动机参数空间，特别是多组分隐藏扇区的冻结暗物质和细生现象，这将在隐藏扇区的理论动机和实验搜索之间建立更强的联系。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。

This RUI award funds the research activities of Professor Brian Shuve at Harvey Mudd College.The nature of the dark matter comprising most of the matter in the Universe, and the origin of the excess of matter over antimatter, are two major outstanding problems in particle physics. These phenomena can only be explained if there exist new particles and forces that have so far evaded detection; this collection of hitherto-unknown particles is known as the "hidden sector". Professor Shuve's research devises and investigates theories of hidden sectors with the aim of understanding more thoroughly how they can account for the unexplained questions of the Standard Model. Professor Shuve also studies the experimental manifestations of hidden sectors, proposing new empirical tests of hidden-sector particles as well as examining how signals of new particles could be hiding in the data of existing experiments. This research promotes progress in one of the most important aspects of fundamental science, namely the discovery of new physical laws and an improved understanding of the content and structure of the Universe, and thus advances the national interest. This project also has significant broader impacts: undergraduate student researchers are integral to the success of the project, and the involvement and training of students from under-represented groups will be prioritized. This research will lead to the development of tools for particle-physics research that are accessible to undergraduate researchers and made publicly available. Professor Shuve will also deliver public lectures to broaden awareness and interest in particle physics and will undertake outreach and recruitment activities for prospective first-generation college students and students from diverse backgrounds.On a more technical level, Professor Shuve will perform detailed phenomenological studies of well-motivated, multi-component hidden sectors and will devise new strategies for experimental searches. One focus of the research will be on hidden sectors including right-handed neutrinos, which can account for neutrino masses, the baryon asymmetry, and dark matter. Professor Shuve's research will use simulated data and analytic calculations to map out sensitivities of current experiments as well as gaps in coverage. As a specific example, Professor Shuve will lead a signature-driven study of the prospects of discovering new hidden-sector particles at low-energy B-factory colliders and the Large Hadron Collider. This will result in the development and proposal of comprehensive search strategies for long-lived particles that enhance the prospects for experimental discoveries of new particles. Finally, Professor Shuve will study the cosmologically motivated parameter space of hidden sectors, particularly for freeze-in dark matter and leptogenesis in multi-component hidden sectors, and this will establish stronger connections between theoretical motivations of hidden sectors and experimental searches.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.