Maximising the new physics reach of the LHC through Effective Field Theories

粒子物理学激发了一种奇妙的感觉，就像天文学家和太空计划探索无限大的东西一样，探索无限小的东西。此外，它的对撞机实验有益于社会，促进了材料科学、电子和信息学的技术进步。推动我们理解宇宙基本理论的全球努力需要理论和实验之间的巨大合作，大型强子对撞机(LHC)就是一个例子。我们知道，最近在大型强子对撞机上发现的希格斯玻色子并不是故事的结束；新粒子很可能存在。然而，数据表明，它们要么太重，无法生产，要么很轻，但躲过了我们的实验。即使它们不能直接产生，我们仍然可以通过对已知粒子之间的相互作用进行轻微修改来推断新粒子的存在。这一理论框架被称为有效场论(EFT)，是一种成熟的同时测试许多新物理模型的方法。已建立的粒子和相互作用的集合被称为粒子物理的标准模型，以及它的EFT扩展，SMEFT。然而，如果新的轻粒子确实存在，它们也可以被纳入更全面的EFT。我的建议在概念和技术上加强了全球高能物理计划，为对撞机提供了新的预测，并通过EFT开发了新的物理搜索策略。我将用对撞机数据与SMEFT对峙，使用SMEFTatNLO寻找新物理的线索。SMEFTatNLO是我开发的一种用于理论预测的尖端工具，现在已成为此类计算的行业标准。使用我开发的另一款统计分析公共软件Fit Maker，新的计算将使我能够更准确地确定对撞机数据对新物理模型的影响，并确定提高我们知识的途径。这些全球分析明确了我们对基本相互作用的理解，并扩大了对撞机的能量覆盖范围。此外，我将利用该工具对新过程进行敏感性研究，以指导和激励未来的实验测量和搜索。对于光这一新的物理学来说，存在许多可能性。在这里，EFT帮助布局给定状态的可能交互，并提供一个框架来通过它们所有可能的交互来发现它们。我概述了三项利用EFT的研究，这些研究的动机是一些悬而未决的问题，如暗物质的性质和宇宙物质-反物质不对称。第一项研究设计了一种策略，通过大型强子对撞机的产生模式将不同类型的暗物质粒子分开。第二个决定了对耦合到顶夸克的轻粒子的新探测器，顶夸克在大型强子对撞机上大量产生，但并未被广泛用于搜索这些态。第三，我将开发一个新物理学的通用模型，可以解释宇宙中物质反物质的不对称性。它们的独特之处在于，它们避免了电子电偶极矩测量的非常强烈的限制，这些限制排除了这些模型的大类。我目标的根本目标是与实验同事交流知识和专业知识。我认为，理论物理研究人员能够产生的最重要的影响是影响和推进对撞机的实验策略。我必须将我的结果传达给实验界，并支持他们通过我的理论预测和敏感性研究来寻找新物理学的线索。在整个过程中，我将确保将这些结果和相关工具转移给实验同事，以便他们能够增强自己的专用搜索并优化数据呈现，以最大化其结果的影响。最终，我的研究将检验支配宇宙基本组成部分之间相互作用的基本定律。

Particle physics inspires a sense of wonder, probing the infinitely small in the way that astronomers and space programs explore the infinitely big. Moreover, its collider experiments benefit society, advancing technology in material sciences, electronics and informatics. This global effort to advance our understanding of the fundamental theory of the universe requires a monumental collaboration between theory and experiment, exemplified by the Large Hadron Collider (LHC).We know that the recently discovered Higgs boson at the LHC is not the end of the story; new particles are likely to exist. However, data suggests that they are either too heavy to produce or are light but evade our experiments. Even if they can't be produced directly, we can still infer the presence of new particles through slight modifications of the interactions between known particles. This theoretical framework is called Effective Field Theory (EFT) and is a well established way to test many new physics models at once. The established set of particles and interactions is called the Standard Model of particle physics, and its EFT extension, the SMEFT. However, if new, light particles do exist, they can also be incorporated into a more comprehensive EFT.My proposal conceptually and technologically enhances the global high energy physics programme, providing new predictions for colliders and developing search strategies for new physics through EFTs. I will confront the SMEFT with collider data to search for hints of new physics using SMEFTatNLO, a cutting-edge tool for theoretical predictions that I developed, that has now become the industry standard for calculations of its kind. Using fitmaker, another public software for statistical analysis that I developed, the new calculations will allow me to more accurately determine the impact of collider data on new physics models, and identify pathways to improve our knowledge. These global analyses crystallise our understanding of fundamental interactions and extend the energy reach of colliders. Alongside, I will exploit the tool to perform sensitivity studies of new processes to guide and motivate future experimental measurements and searches. For light, new physics, many possibilities exist. Here, EFTs help to lay out the possible interactions of a given state and provide a framework to discover them through all of their possible interactions. I outline three studies that exploit EFT, motivated by open questions such as the nature of dark matter and the cosmic matter-antimatter asymmetry. The first devises a strategy to disentangle different types of dark matter particle through their LHC production modes. The second determines new probes for light particles coupled to the top quark, which is abundantly produced at the LHC but has not been extensively used to search for these states. Third, I will develop a general model for new physics that can explain the matter anti-matter asymmetry of the universe. Their unique feature is that they avoid the very strong constraints from measurements of the electron electric dipole moment that rule out large classes of these models.The underlying goal of my objectives is to exchange knowledge and expertise with experimental colleagues. I believe that the most important impact that a researcher in theoretical physics can have is to influence and advance the experimental strategy at colliders. It is essential that I communicate my results to the experimental community and support their efforts to search for hints of new physics with my theoretical predictions and sensitivity studies. Throughout, I will ensure that these results and associated tools are transferred experimental colleagues such that they can enhance their own dedicated searches and optimise the data presentation to maximise the impact of their results. Ultimately, my investigations will test the fundamental laws governing the interactions between the elementary constituents of the universe.