Searching for Physics Beyond the Standard Model

粒子物理学的最终目标是找到统一自然界中所有力和粒子的理论。已经迈出了第一步，将电磁力和弱力统一为一个单一的“电弱”力。粒子物理的标准模型(SM)，包括弱电和强力，基本上成功地解释了所有已知的实验数据。然而，这显然不是最终的理论--四种力量中只有两种是统一的，SM留下了许多问题没有回答。因此，必须有“超越SM的物理”，即单靠SM不能解释的现象。寻找这种“新物理学”(NP)是当今粒子物理学家面临的最重要问题。 在过去的4-5年里，出现了许多NP的迹象，特别是在b&gt；S的过渡中。在各种B介子衰变中，这些第一次出现在“B工厂”巴巴尔和贝利。强子实验CDF和D？支持这一趋势，发现在其他几个B衰变模式中与SM的预测不一致。综合所有结果，似乎b&gt；S NP很可能在场。不幸的是，这并没有得到大型强子对撞机的支持：大型强子对撞机重新测量了上述的一些量，并发现结果与SM一致。归根结底，现在关于NP的迹象比以前少了。 即便如此，在几个不同的区域仍然存在NP的潜在信号。在某些B衰变和D衰变中，在强子对撞机的t-Tbar产生中，甚至在希格斯衰变中，都有NP的迹象。此外，NP模型通常预测可能在大型强子对撞机上产生的新的奇异粒子的存在。我的研究项目触及了其中的许多领域。他们都有一个共同的目标：参与新物理学的探索。

The ultimate goal of particle physics is to find the theory that unifies all the forces and particles in Nature. A first step has been taken with the unification of the electromagnetic and weak forces into a single "electroweak" force. The Standard Model (SM) of particle physics, which includes the electroweak and the strong forces, successfully explains essentially all known experimental data. Nevertheless, it is clearly not the final theory -- only two of the four forces are unified, and the SM leaves many questions unanswered. Thus, there must be "physics beyond the SM," that is, phenomena that cannot be explained by the SM alone. The search for this "new physics" (NP) is the most important problem facing particle physicists today. There were a number of hints of NP over the past 4-5 years, particularly in b -> s transitions. These were first seen at the "B-factories" BaBar and Belle in various B-meson decays. The hadronic experiments CDF and DØ supported this trend, finding disagreements with the SM predictions in several other B decay modes. Putting all the results together, it appeared that b -> s NP might well be present. Unfortunately, this has not been supported by the LHC: LHCb has remeasured a number of the above quantities, and finds results in agreement with the SM. The bottom line is that there are now fewer hints of NP than there were before. Even so, there are still potential signals of NP in several different areas. There are hints of NP in certain B and D decays, in t-tbar production at hadron colliders, and even in the decay of the Higgs. Furthermore, NP models generally predict the existence of new, exotic particles, which might be produced at the LHC. My research projects touch many of these areas. They all have one common goal: to participate in the search for new physics.