Constraining Physics Beyond the Standard Model with Cosmological Observations

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This award funds the research activities of Professor Mark Hertzberg at Tufts University.Cosmology is an essential tool to learn about physics beyond the standard model. With no direct evidence of new physics at colliders, we can use astronomical data to gain clues about new physics. Perhaps the most significant questions are: What new physics was at play in the early universe? What types of particles and interactions are in the dark matter and gravitational sectors? This project will investigate specific sub-topics within these important questions by first developing theoretical models and then comparing to astrophysical and cosmological data. This research therefore advances the national interest by pursuing basic scientific questions of high significance. The project will also have broader impacts. It will involve graduate and undergraduate students who will play an important role in analyzing models and performing computational work; this will help them develop essential research skills. Professor Hertzberg will also actively advance these topics within the larger physics community.More technically, Professor Hertzberg will seek to place constraints on the couplings of the cosmic inflaton to the Standard Model Higgs and other new particles --- constraints which must be satisfied in order to avoid instability. As part of this research, Professor Hertzberg will also explore the implications of (multi-field) ultralight dark matter and explore new physics in the strong gravity regime. He will also study the behavior of such light axion dark matter models, including their behavior within the galaxy, and constrain new effective operators between astrophysical bodies.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.