Theoretical Studies of Electroweak and Hadronic Interactions

该奖项资助教授韦恩W的研究活动。密歇根州立大学的Repko。这些活动包括发展一种更精确的理论描述，描述一类被称为重夸克偶素的粒子-重夸克和它的反夸克的束缚态。 这种类型的夸克偶素系统形成于不同的激发能级，并逐渐衰变到最低能量状态，就像激发的氢原子衰变一样。然而，关键的区别在于，夸克偶素的衰变与氢的衰变不同，它必然包括强核力的影响。与合作者沿着，Repko教授开发了描述这些重夸克系统的模型，作为这个研究项目的一部分，他现在将在学生的参与下完善这些模型。Repko教授将研究的另一个主题是混合的性质，它描述了不同质量的中微子是如何在实验中观察到的。 这种类型的混合是一种纯粹的量子力学现象，对早期宇宙中的物质形成具有重要意义。该项目还将产生一些更广泛的影响。 它将涉及本科物理专业和物理研究生谁将对上述研究的各个方面的工作。本科生将参与该项目的一些计算方面，从而获得理论物理研究的介绍。 研究生（S）将更深入地参与，并接受关键的培训，这将有助于他们的专业发展。 也有可能是一个交叉的研究成果到新的课堂主题在此期间授予。

This award funds the research activities of Professor Wayne W. Repko at Michigan State University. These activities include the development of a more accurate theoretical description of a class of particles known as heavy quarkonia --- bound states of a heavy quark and its antiquark. Quarkonium systems of this type are formed in various excited energy levels, and gradually decay to the state of lowest energy in much the same way an excited hydrogen atom decays. However, the critical difference is that the decays of quarkonium, unlike the decays of hydrogen, necessarily include the effects of the strong nuclear force. Along with collaborators, Professor Repko has developed models that describe these heavy-quark systems, and as part of this research project he will now refine these models with the involvement of students. Another topic that Professor Repko will investigate is the nature of the mixing that describes how neutrinos with different masses are experimentally observed. This type of mixing is a purely quantum-mechanical phenomenon that has important implications for matter formation in the early universe. This project will also have several broader impacts. It will involve both undergraduate physics majors and physics graduate students who will work on various aspects of the research descibed above. The undergraduates will engage with some of the computing aspects of this project and thereby obtain an introduction to theoretical physics research. The graduate student(s) will be more deeply involved and receive critical training that will aid in their professional development. There is also likely to be a crossover of research results into new classroom topics during the duration of this grant.