This grant handled performing precision theoretical calculations for comparison with some of the most precise experiments in particle physics. In particular I applied a mathematical tool that allows us to infer information about potential new particles that cannot be produced directly at experiments, but whose properties can be inferred by how they change the behavior of the known measurable particles.
This is important firstly as it is a scientific endeavor pushing our understanding of nature, but also secondly in supporting society through training students whose analytic skills have applications across all of industry as well as because of the new methodologies we develop which may be adapted by industry in the future.
The overall objectives were to calculate precision theoretical predictions for the behavior of the Z boson particle and the recently discovered Higgs particle which can then be compared to experimental measurements. If the the experimental measurements deviate from the prediction of the Standard Model of particle physics, my calculations will tell us important information about the kinds of particles that could be causing this shift in behavior and how to look for them at future colliders.