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Theory of particle collider processes at ultimate precision

Project description

Laying solid theoretical foundations for interpreting LHC data

Over the next few years, the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN will multiply its data set by a factor of 20, enabling precision measurements for a large number of elementary particle reactions. To interpret and use these data to determine fundamental constants of nature, the theoretical description of the measured quantities must be just as accurate. The EU-funded TOPUP project will develop new analytical, algebraic and numerical methods for describing physical observables at the LHC. Researchers will expand perturbation theory to the third non-trivial order. New methods for computing multi-loop scattering amplitudes will also be developed.

Objective

The Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN probes the interaction of elementary particles at unprecedented energy and to very high precision. The full exploitation of the upcoming data from the LHC relies on a close interplay between theory and experiment, which calls in particular for highly accurate theoretical predictions. This theoretical accuracy can be achieved only though the expansion of the fundamental scattering amplitudes to sufficiently high order in perturbation theory.

This project aims to meet this challenge for modern collider physics by providing the conceptual and technical foundations for theory predictions at ultimate precision. TOPUP will develop and establish a new standard of theoretical precision in the description of physical observables at the LHC based on perturbation theory expanded to the third non-trivial order (N3LO). We will achieve this ambitious goal by targeting the main obstacles in present-day methods, and by developing novel ways for the computation of multi-loop scattering amplitudes and in the understanding and handling of unresolved multi-particle emission.

The concrete goal of the project is to enable theoretical predictions at ultimate precision for multiple processes in high-energy particle collisions with full final state kinematical information. This will lead to a more precise extraction of fundamental physics parameters, such as couplings and particle masses. The newly developed methods will be applied to the derivation of the process-independent four-loop corrections to the Altarelli-Parisi splitting functions, the three-loop matrix elements for a number of fundamental scattering processes and fully differential N3LO predictions for several process-specific key observables. These calculations will shape and challenge the newly developed methods in cutting-edge applications and provide crucial input to the theoretical interpretation of the LHC precision physics program.

Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)

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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)

Programme(s)

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Topic(s)

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Funding Scheme

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.

ERC-ADG - Advanced Grant

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Call for proposal

Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.

(opens in new window) ERC-2020-ADG

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Host institution

UNIVERSITAT ZURICH
Net EU contribution

Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.

€ 2 459 915,00
Address
RAMISTRASSE 71
8006 Zurich
Switzerland

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Region
Schweiz/Suisse/Svizzera Zürich Zürich
Activity type
Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
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Total cost

The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.

€ 2 459 915,00

Beneficiaries (1)

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