CAREER: Grounding Nuclear Physics in the Standard Model for New Physics Searches

虽然粒子物理学的标准模型是我们最久经考验的物理理论之一，但它预计会在某些条件下崩溃，无法解释的观测证据和理论难题要求对标准模型（BSM）之外的物理的理解。这种新物理学的起源和起源方式是物理学中一些最突出的问题；因此，测试标准模型的极限是许多备受瞩目的核物理实验项目的主要目标。如果新物理的能量尺度超出了加速器的范围，这种低能量的核试验可能是我们发现新物理的唯一希望。这些过程的定量理论计算对于规划实验，了解其背景以及将结果与各种BSM模型联系起来至关重要。这项研究包括支持这些高影响核实验的计算，利用世界上一些最大的超级计算设施。这样的计算导致了高性能计算的进步，并对其他计算领域产生了影响。对核物理的新认识与国家安全和能源研究有着密切的联系，而PI合作的学生已经在这些领域开始了职业生涯。此外，教育活动的目的是为哥斯达黎加大学代表性不足的学生提供研究机会。核相互作用背后的基本理论是量子色动力学（QCD）。晶格QCD是一种数值公式，是目前我们已知的唯一一种与核系统相关的QCD计算技术，这样理论不确定性是完全可量化的，错误可以系统地消除。本研究将使用点阵QCD来计算单强子和多强子观测值，这对于理解新物理的实验搜索是必要的，包括：1。寻找无中微子双β衰变，这是一种被提议的超罕见过程，如果被观测到，将阐明宇宙物质/反物质不对称的起源，以及对中微子质量本质的理解。2. 在橡树岭国家实验室的散裂中子源上进行的强子系统宇称违逆的测量，这是约束标准模型所必需的。中子寿命的测量，目前显示实验张力可能指向新的物理贡献。4. 长基线中微子实验，如深地下中微子实验（DUNE），将探测CP违和和中微子质量层次。5. 一般低能基本对称测试涉及原子核作为实验室，通过对核子相互作用的理论理解来理解和连接到潜在的BSM物理。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

While the Standard Model of particle physics stands as one of our most well-tested physical theories, it is expected to break down under certain conditions, and unexplained observational evidence and theoretical puzzles call for understanding of physics beyond the Standard Model (BSM). Where and how this new physics originates are some of the biggest outstanding problems of physics; therefore testing the limits of the Standard Model is a primary goal of many high-profile experimental programs in nuclear physics. Such low-energy nuclear tests may be our only hope at discovery if the energy scale of new physics is beyond the reach of accelerators. Quantitative theoretical calculations of these processes are crucial for planning experiments, understanding their backgrounds, and connecting results to various BSM models. This research involves calculations supporting these high-impact nuclear experiments, utilizing some of the largest supercomputing facilities worldwide. Such calculations lead to advancements in high-performance computing, with repercussions for other computational fields. New understanding of nuclear physics has close ties to national security and energy research, and students in the PI's collaboration have already begun careers in these sectors. The educational activities furthermore aim to provide research opportunities for under-represented students at the University of Costa Rica. The fundamental theory behind nuclear interactions is known to be Quantum Chromodynamics (QCD). Lattice QCD, a numerical formulation, is currently our only known technique for performing QCD calculations relevant for nuclear systems such that theoretical uncertainties are fully quantifiable and errors may be systematically removed. This research will use lattice QCD to calculate single- and multi-hadron observables necessary for understanding experimental searches for new physics including: 1. Searches for neutrinoless double-beta decay, a proposed ultra-rare process which, if observed, would shed light on the origin of the matter/antimatter asymmetry of the Universe, as well as an understanding of the nature of neutrino masses. 2. Measurements of parity violation in hadronic systems, necessary for constraining the Standard Model, and being performed at the Spallation Neutron Source at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. 3. Measurements of the neutron lifetime, which currently display experimental tension potentially pointing to new physics contributions. 4. Long baseline neutrino experiments, such as the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE), which will probe CP violation and the neutrino mass hierarchy. 5. General low-energy fundamental symmetry tests involving nuclei as laboratories, to be understood and connected to underlying BSM physics via theoretical understanding of nucleon interactions.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.