Objective
The objective of this proposal is a thorough study of the minimal LHC phenomenology of partners of the top quark and other standard model particles. The existence of these partners is a prediction of many approaches to solving the hierarchy problem: that is, the question of why the mass of the Higgs boson is small compared to fundamental scales in physics. In essence, the role of these new partners is to cancel quantum corrections to the Higgs mass which arise from standard model particles. The top quark is responsible for the largest correction to the Higgs mass in the standard model, and therefore the mass of its partner is expected to be well within the experimental reach of the LHC.
Theorists have proposed a variety of models which solve the hierarchy problem. Some of these models have been studied in detail but others have not. This proposal will fill the holes in our knowledge of what physics at the LHC will look like if there is a solution to the hierarchy problem in nature. The approach will be very general, focusing on effective field theories which incorporate approximate cancellations of the corrections to the Higgs mass. We will identify and describe experimental signatures of the models and validate these signatures by numerical simulations. We will also investigate the question of whether new developments in the understanding of scattering amplitudes open new methods for discovering the new symmetries which are usually required to cancel the quantum corrections.
In addition to the value of this research, the proposal will contribute to the competitiveness of European science by transferring knowledge of particle physics from the US to Europe. This knowledge transfer will occur through mentoring students; teaching courses and public outreach activities. The researcher will move from the US to begin a long-term career in physics research in Europe.
Fields of science
Not validated
Not validated
Call for proposal
FP7-PEOPLE-2010-IIF
See other projects for this call
Funding Scheme
MC-IIF - International Incoming Fellowships (IIF)Coordinator
1165 Kobenhavn
Denmark