Skip to main content
Go to the home page of the European Commission (opens in new window)
English English
CORDIS - EU research results
CORDIS

Challenging the Standard Model with the scrutiny of b to qll transitions

Project description

Rare decays of b hadrons could hint at new physics beyond the Standard Model

The EU-funded Chiaroscuro project seeks to discover new physical phenomena not predicted by the Standard Model of particle physics. Researchers will conduct precision measurements to find discrepancies between the predictions of the Standard Model and experimental observations that could hint the manifestation of new particles or unknown physics. Using the Large Hadron Collider beauty detector, designed to capture hadrons containing b quarks (b hadrons), researchers will try to detect the rare transitions from b quarks to s or d quarks. Researchers will study for the first time the angular properties of the decay products of these transitions for a variety of b hadrons.

Objective

Today, Particle Physics is in an unusual situation with a theory, the Standard Model (SM), able to accurately describe a very large number of precise measurements but at the cost of ad hoc features in the fermionic sector. Furthermore, the SM is unable to answer key questions raised by cosmological observations. Consequently, the ball is now on experiment side to search for signs of non-SM physics (NP). The most straightforward way to hunt for NP particles is to seek for their signatures directly in the data, but none of them has been found today. Therefore, this project focuses on indirect searches which rely on the quantum nature of particles. Since b-hadrons study is an ideal field for this type of searches, I propose to explore the Flavour-Changing Neutral Currents b-> sll and b-> dll transitions to draw the identity card of the NP particles which may be at play. Due to experimental constraints, our current knowledge is limited: the published results are mostly related to the b-> s mumu transitions and the observations of b-> see are rare. With the Chiaroscuro project, I will be able to study for the first time the angular properties of the decay products of the b-> s ee transitions over the full kinematical domain for a variety of b-hadrons to investigate the NP couplings to the electron (e) and muon (mu) particles. Another important question is the coupling of NP with the quarks of the first and second families: are the b->sll and b->dll transitions impacted the same way by NP? In order to answer this interrogation, I will study Lb and Bc hadrons decays - uniquely accessible at the LHC - using cutting edge reconstruction techniques.
The project will use the LHCb detector running at the LHC to benefit from the huge b-hadron production rate. In order to cope with the increasingly challenging data-taking conditions, the project will develop innovative techniques in the electron reconstruction and precise calibration of the LHCb electromagnetic calorimeter.

Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)

CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.

You need to log in or register to use this function

Keywords

Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)

Programme(s)

Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.

Topic(s)

Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.

Funding Scheme

Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.

ERC-ADG - Advanced Grant

See all projects funded under this funding scheme

Call for proposal

Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.

(opens in new window) ERC-2020-ADG

See all projects funded under this call

Host institution

CENTRE NATIONAL DE LA RECHERCHE SCIENTIFIQUE CNRS
Net EU contribution

Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.

€ 2 221 993,00
Total cost

The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.

€ 2 221 993,00

Beneficiaries (1)

My booklet 0 0