Multi-loop amplitudes and precise predictions for the LHC

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This award funds the research activities of Professor Andreas von Manteuffel at Michigan State University.One way of understanding matter and interactions at a fundamental level is by colliding small subatomic particles against each other at high energies and examining the new particles that may emerge. For this reason, collider experiments are crucial for this quest. The Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at the CERN Laboratory allows for precision physics at very high energies, probing details of the current so-called "Standard Model" of particle physics and searching for small signals of possible new physics beyond it. The research of Professor von Manteuffel enables particularly precise theory predictions in order to draw firm conclusions from available and future collider data. New computational methods allow for the formulation of theoretical predictions with unprecedented precision and lead to an improved structural understanding of the theoretical framework, perturbative quantum field theory, which underlies these calculations. As such, this research advances the national interest by promoting the progress of science in one of its purest forms: the understanding of the basic laws of Nature. Bridging the fields of theoretical physics, applied mathematics, and computer science, this project is also expected to have a broad impact beyond the primary field of study. This project will also involve the training of graduate students and postdoctoral fellows in theoretical physics and other disciplines, equipping them with strong skills, both in analytical reasoning and information technology.More technically, Professor von Manteuffel will calculate radiative corrections for LHC observables involving the Higgs boson, W and Z bosons, the top quark, and other particles at high perturbative orders in the gauge theory of strong and electroweak interactions. A central focus will be on the calculation of scattering amplitudes and Feynman integrals with multiple loops, multiple legs, and internal masses. These calculations are enabled by the development of improved computational methods, ranging from symbolic to numerical approaches and employing high-performance computers.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.