Project description
Research could reveal new insights into how the Higgs boson interacts with other particles
The Higgs boson discovered in 2012 is crucial to understanding how particles gain mass. Yet many mysteries surround its discovery, such as the origin of the electroweak scale (the energy level where electromagnetic and weak forces unify) and the phase transitions that shaped the early universe’s structure. The ERC-funded PLUSPHOTON project will study the production of a Higgs boson in association with a photon – a rare process owing to its low probability and the low energy of the photon involved. PLUSPHOTON will introduce a novel photon isolation technique to improve low-energy photon detection. It will also refine background noise models, search for Higgs photon production and analyse results using advanced theoretical tools. Project efforts could potentially point to new physics beyond the standard model.
Objective
The observation of the Higgs boson in 2012 marked a significant milestone in particle physics. Following its discovery, the Large Hadron Collider experiments have focused on an extensive characterisation of this scalar particle. However, key questions remain, such as the origin of the electroweak scale and phase transition in the early Universe. This project seeks to address a crucial gap in our understanding of the Higgs boson: a comprehensive study of the Higgs boson production in association with a photon, focusing on the diphoton decay channel, could potentially point to new physics beyond the Standard Model. This process has not yet been observed due to its low cross-section and the relative softness of the extra photon.
For this work, four main research objectives are considered. The first is to develop a novel experimental photon isolation technique, soft-drop isolation, with the aim of improving photon isolation at low-transverse momentum. The second one is to produce a complete characterisation of the background from the strong interaction with differential cross-section measurements that can assess the modelling of state-of-the-art Monte Carlo event generators. The third one is to search for Higgs plus photon production in the diphoton decay channel, establishing a framework in which the rich phenomenology of this process can also be studied in other decays. The final one is to evaluate the results in terms of the Standard Model Effective Field Theory and shed light on the origin of potential new physics effects if any deviations from the current theory are found. The project will unlock deeper insights into the Higgs boson´s interactions with fundamental particles, sharpening our grasp of the electroweak symmetry breaking mechanism. It will lay the groundwork for searches in alternative Higgs decay channels and introduce a novel photon isolation technique that will transform the landscape of photon measurements.
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.
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.
- natural sciences physical sciences theoretical physics particle physics particle accelerator
- natural sciences physical sciences theoretical physics particle physics photons
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Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
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.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.1.1 - European Research Council (ERC)
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Topic(s)
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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
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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.
HORIZON-ERC - HORIZON ERC Grants
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) ERC-2025-STG
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28049 Madrid
Spain
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