RUI: Casting Light On A Semi-Visible Higgs Boson With Novel Triggers At ATLAS

该奖项将为欧洲核子研究中心(CERN)的大型强子对撞机(LHC)的ATLAS实验工作提供支持，CERN是瑞士日内瓦的一个粒子物理实验室。大型强子对撞机和大型粒子探测器ATLAS是利用美国国家科学基金会和世界各地其他机构的资金作为基础科学工具建造的。2012年在大型强子对撞机上发现了一个质量接近125GeV的希格斯玻色子，这既代表了粒子物理标准模型的最高成就，也是一个暗示--如果没有新的、未被发现的物理学，一个轻的希格斯玻色子如何可能在巨大的、不稳定的量子效应中生存下来？实验的下一步是寻找标准模型(BSM)以外的物理学证据，例如，可以解释神秘的“暗物质”的存在，这种物质构成了宇宙的如此大的质量。大型强子对撞机目前刚刚开始一个新的阶段，运行2，在更高的能量和更多的事件样本。BSM物理学的证据有可能在未来几年内出现。该奖项将开发工具，通过使用机器学习(ML)技术改进触发选择来检测新的BSM物理学。这些新的触发器将提高ATLAS探测器在Higgs衰变到两个光子和其他可能出现新的BSM粒子的通道中对BSM物理的选择性。这个RUI将允许学生直接参与LHC数据的分析，并学习新的ML技术。他们还将开发与当地高中的外展项目。这一奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This award will provide support for work on the ATLAS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN, a particle physics laboratory in Geneva, Switzerland. The LHC machine and ATLAS, a large particle detector facility, were built as basic science tools using funds from NSF and other agencies around the world. The 2012 discovery, at the LHC, of a Higgs boson with mass close to 125 GeV represents both the crowning achievement of the Standard Model of particle physics and a hint beyond it - how can a light Higgs boson possibly survive huge, destabilizing quantum effects without new, undiscovered physics? The next step in the experiments is to look for evidence for physics Beyond the Standard Model (BSM) that might, for instance, account for the presence of the mysterious "Dark Matter" that makes up so much of the mass of the universe. The LHC is currently just starting a new phase, Run 2, at higher energy and increased event samples. It is possible that evidence for BSM physics could emerge in the next couple of years.This award will develop tools for detecting new BSM physics by improving the trigger selection using machine learning (ML) techniques. These new triggers will improve the selectivity of the ATLAS detector for BSM physics in the Higgs decays to two photons and other channels where new BSM particles could show up. This RUI will allow students to directly take part in the analysis of the LHC data and learn new ML techniques. They will also develop outreach programs with local high schools.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.