RUI: Uncovering the Particle Nature of Hidden Sectors

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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.