Unravelling the Nature of Dark Matter and Electroweak Symmetry Breaking at Colliders

对于粒子物理学、天体物理学和宇宙学之间的边界研究来说，这是一个特别成熟的时机。这在很大程度上是由于这样一个事实，即预计很快就会从粒子物理和天体物理的大量实验中产生数据。其中包括大型强子对撞机(LHC)，寻求直接和间接探测暗物质的实验，以及普朗克等宇宙微波背景探测器。事实上，在许多情况下，这些不同的实验是相辅相成的，每个实验都提供了一个不同的窗口，可以了解标准模型之外尚未探索的物理学。在这项提议中，泰特教授的目标是探索位于粒子物理、天体物理和宇宙学之间的介面上的电弱尺度物理学的新理论。他的目标是理解在这些实验中可能表现出来的新现象，提供对发现的现象的理论描述，并最终将它们纳入更大的理论框架。PI的具体短期目标包括探索对撞机和宇宙学中暗物质弱束缚状态模型提供的信号，以及探索LHC所谓的“美丽镜子”模型的信号。这一努力预计还将产生几个更广泛的影响。首先，PI将继续参加暑期班，旨在指导攻读理论或实验高能物理博士学位的研究生。他还将编写一套定期更新的课堂讲稿，其中包括对撞机物理和暗物质领域的主题。这些笔记应该为这些快速发展的领域的研究生(甚至博士后和其他子领域的感兴趣的教师)提供重要的资源。其次，PI计划在高中层面进行推广，让学生(他们的兴趣可能不在科学领域)了解正在发生的令人兴奋的进步，并鼓励学生追求研究事业。

This is a particularly ripe time for research at the boundary between particle physics and astrophysics and cosmology. This is due, in large part, to the fact that data is soon expected to emerge from a plethora of experiments in both particle physics and astrophysics. These include the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), experiments seeking the direct and indirect detection of Dark Matter, and Cosmic Microwave Background probes such as Planck. Indeed, in many instances these different experiments are complementary to each other, each providing a different window into the as-yet-unexplored physics beyond the Standard Model. In this proposal, Professor Tait aims to explore new theories for physics at the electroweak scale which sit at this interface between particle physics, astrophysics, and cosmology. His goal is to understand new phenomena which may be manifest at these experiments, provide theoretical descriptions of phenomena as they are discovered, and eventually fit them into a larger theoretical framework. Specific short-term goals of the PI include exploration of the signals provided by models with weakly bound states of dark matter at colliders and in cosmology, and exploration of signals of the so-called "Beautiful Mirrors" model at the LHC.This effort is also envisioned to have several broader impacts. First, the PI will continue to participate in summer schools aimed at instructing graduate students working toward a PhD in theoretical or experimental high-energy physics. He will also compile a set of lecture notes which will be regularly updated, and include topics in the areas of collider physics and dark matter. These notes should provide an important resource for graduate students (or even postdocs and interested faculty in other subfields) in these rapidly evolving fields. Second, the PI plans outreach at the high-school level, to inform students (whose interests may lay outside the sciences) of the exciting advances taking place, and to encourage students to pursue a career in research.