The project constituted the development of a state-of-the art model implementation for Monte Carlo predictions in the Standard Model EFT (SMEFT). This is the first tool to be compatible with general purpose event generation software, enabling predictions at Next-to-Leading order in QCD for processes that probe the Higgs, top and EW gauge sectors. Its development led to four projects exploiting the simulation capacities and developing understanding of SMEFT phenomenology through analytical calculations, machine learning methods and the study of new collider processes. Each project led to a peer-reviewed journal publication.
One presented novel results and statistical sensitivity analyses for precision predictions in EW Higgs production processes, and another for single top production in association with a Higgs or Z-bosons. The third presents an analysis of high energy top quark scattering involving Higgs and EW gauge bosons. It lead to new understanding of the connection between unitarity-violation and the effects from higher dimensional operators. New collider processes were studied to determine the sensitivity to the SMEFT parameters and quantify the transferral of the high-energy behaviour to the full process. The fourth studied top pair production process in association with a pair of b quarks as a probe, through SMEFT, of new physics strongly coupled to third generation quarks. This is a well motivated scenario for new physics and we determined sensitivity to previously unconstrained directions in parameter space. Novel machine learning methods were developed for multi-dimensional parametric sensitivity that are being exploited in an experimental analysis by the CMS collaboration.
The Rosetta software for translation between operator bases in SMEFT has been officially released, hosted on a high energy physics software repository. Tthis code has been significantly developed during the reporting period, adding a command-line interface and 4 new modules, quantifying the compatibility of SMEFT parameter space points to experimental data.
The results have been disseminated through 5 contributions to white papers and monographs, and presented at over 15 international conferences, workshops and seminars. During the reporting period, a 4-day, specialist international workshop 'Higgs and Effective Field Theory 2019' was organised at the host institution, with the fellow acting as chair of the organisation committee.
The fellow also participated in the outreach activities at the Host institution. In particular, he was involved 2018 and 2019 editions of the 'Printemps des sciences' activity delivering a public engagement talk entitled 'Le Monde des Particules' and leading an LHC data analysis workshop for High school students.
