Theoretical Particle Physics and Cosmology at UC Irvine

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This award funds the research activities of Professors Kevork Abazajian, Mu-Chun Chen, Jonathan Feng, Manoj Kaplinghat, Arvind Rajaraman, Michael Ratz, Yuri Shirman, and Timothy Tait at the University of California, Irvine.Particle physics stands at a crossroads. The discovery of the Higgs boson at the Large Hadron Collider has completed the Standard Model of particle physics, but many mysteries remain. Observations of the Universe indicate components such as dark energy and dark matter which the Standard Model does not describe, and the fact that the Universe is predominantly composed of matter (as opposed to anti-matter) and the need to incorporate gravity both point to dynamics beyond those contained within it. Understanding these mysteries requires theoretical interpretation to realize the implications of the vast amount of data currently being collected by particle physics experiments such as the Large Hadron Collider, and cosmological observations, and to propose future experimental searches. The research supported by this award will develop innovative ideas in particle physics, cosmology, and at their interface, to address outstanding problems in a wide variety of fields, including searches for new particles, neutrino physics, the nature of dark matter and its observable signatures, and particle cosmology. It advances the national interest by promoting the progress of science in its most fundamental directions: the work will deepen our understanding of the physical Universe at both the smallest and largest length scales and further our knowledge of the basic building blocks and forces that make up and shape our Universe. The broader impacts of the group's activities are aimed at increasing public interest in and improving public understanding of the exciting results of physics and astronomy research. The group's activities include developing and teaching a COSMOS summer course on particle physics and cosmology to high-achieving high school students from diverse socio-economic backgrounds, programs to strengthen the representation of underrepresented minorities in physics and other STEM fields, a wide array of public talks and outreach activities through print and web-based media, the training of postdoctoral researchers and graduate students both at UC Irvine and around the world, and significant contributions in the area of professional service.More technically, the research will be accomplished by applying cutting edge tools in theoretical physics, including quantum field theory, numerical simulations, and machine learning algorithms to advance our understanding of particle physics and cosmology to propose new models of fundamental particles and interactions, to realize the implications of the vast amount of data currently being collected by particle physics experiments and cosmological observations, and to propose future experimental searches. Through applications of these techniques, this work will advance our knowledge of dark matter, neutrino physics, and particle cosmology.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.