Theoretical Particle Physics

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This proposal funds the research activities of Professors Csaba Csaki, Yuval Grossman, Thomas Hartman, Peter Lepage, Liam McAllister, and Maxim Perelstein at Cornell University.High-energy physics is the study of the fundamental building blocks of matter and their interactions. There are several different approaches to answer the biggest puzzles facing this field. Extremely precise measurements --- of particle collisions at high energies, of the cosmic afterglow of the Big Bang (the so-called "cosmic microwave background radiation"), and of other signals ---yield new clues as to the interactions of elementary particles and the evolution of the Universe. Powerful computer simulations can also be used to study the properties of the strong nuclear interactions. Finally, theoretical studies of gravitational and quantum phenomena in extreme settings, such as near black holes or in the earliest moments of the Universe, can lend insight into theories that join gravity with quantum mechanics. Pursuing all of these directions, the Cornell Particle Theory group will advance the national interest by promoting the advancement of science in one of its most fundamental directions: the discovery and understanding of new physical law. In his research, Professor Csaki will develop and scrutinize models that could provide an explanation of the origin of the masses of fundamental particles, as well as the origin of the observed acceleration of our Universe --- models which can potentially be tested either at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) or at a planned future accelerator. The research of Professor Grossman will focus on questions related to the unexplained fact that the world is made of only ordinary matter particles, while antimatter is exceedingly rare. Professor Hartman will explore quantum-mechanical aspects of black holes. Professor Lepage will use large-scale computer simulations for high-precision studies of strongly-interacting particles --- calculations that are needed for high-precision experiments seeking to detect and quantify new physics. Professor McAllister will study the effects of quantum mechanics in cosmology. Finally, Professor Perelstein will propose and study novel theories of dark matter, a mysterious form of matter which comprises most of the matter in the universe but does not consist of any of the known elementary particles. He will also investigate applications of machine learning to particle physics. This project will also have significant broader impacts. The Cornell Particle Theory group will train graduate students and involve postdocs in their research, and thereby provide critical training for junior physicists beginning research in this field. They will also give public lectures on their research results, as well as regular lectures to local high-school students.More technically, Professor Csaki will pursue several directions, including new approaches to the cosmological-constant problem and tests of vacuum energy; novel aspects of composite-Higgs, dark-matter, and warped extra-dimensional models; clarification of anomalies via scattering amplitudes or the AdS/CFT correspondence; and the physics of magnetic monopoles. Professor Grossman will explore flavor physics, including the implications of the recent discovery of CP violation in charm, as well as the indications of anomalies in B decays and rare kaon decays. Professor Hartman will study the connection between entanglement and emergent geometry, and investigate the role of higher topologies in black-hole information. Professor Lepage will continue his work with the HPQCD lattice collaboration to extract important physics from nonperturbative QCD simulations, with a particular emphasis on heavy-quark systems and other high-precision measurements. Professor McAllister will study flux vacua in compactifications of string theory on Calabi-Yau threefolds, including de Sitter and inflationary cosmologies. Finally, Professor Perelstein will investigate novel theories of dark matter and dark sectors with non-standard cosmological histories, including their phenomenological consequences, as well as further explore applications of machine learning to collider physics.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.