Objetivo
Now that a Higgs-like particle has been discovered naturalness becomes the most pressing and fundamental question within the reach of the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). The main contribution that destabilises the electroweak scale comes from a top-quark loop. The key for addressing the naturalness problem is thus identifying the top partners that are stabilizing the weak scale.
We consider the following two general possibilities in which the partners have escaped detection:
(I) the top partners are light but elusive, this calls for a theoretical explanation as well as for new innovative experimental techniques for signal exhumation;
(II) the partners are relatively heavy and the signal would consist of energetic (boosted) top from the decay of its partner. I plan to carry out a comprehensive research program designed to attack these challenges, and I believe that I am uniquely prepared to do this. Regarding (I), as proven below, current searches have not considered the impact of non-trivial flavor physics, e.g. splitting between the first two generation partner masses, as well as the mixing between the top-partners and other flavors. The consequences are: (i) significantly weaker mass bounds on some of the partners (e.g. the scharm, charm-supersymmetric-partner); (ii) improved naturalness as even the stops (or fermion partners) can be lighter; and (iii) modified Higgs rates in composite models.
Regarding (II), with collaborators I have been the first one to understand the difficulties of dealing with highly boosted top jets, and since then I was intensively involved in developing theoretical as well as novel techniques to study them, including coauthoring two important papers with the CDF and ATLAS collaborations.
To uncover these new possibilities, expertise in collider phenomenology and flavor physics is required. I have a proven record in these frontiers and thus, given the required support, am well positioned to pursue this quest to save naturalness.
Ámbito científico
Convocatoria de propuestas
ERC-2013-CoG
Consulte otros proyectos de esta convocatoria
Régimen de financiación
ERC-CG - ERC Consolidator GrantsInstitución de acogida
7610001 Rehovot
Israel