Theoretical Studies in Electroweak and Hadronic Interactions

Michigan State University, East Lansing MI

Investigators

Abstract

Research in theoretical elementary particle physics will include analyses of Quantum ChromoDynamics (QCD - the strong force which binds quarks and gluons to form ordinary protons and neutrons), possible top quark and Higgs boson signals at future colliders, studies of the interactions between photons and neutrinos in situations of astrophysical interest, and the role of gravity in particle physics. The detailed interactions of QCD are very complex. Therefore, in order to gain insight into this theory it is essential to study its effects in specific processes. New techniques will be used to investigate the production of heavy quarks at colliders over a range of energy scales and also to study the QCD scattering of particles at very high energies. In addition, the effects of QCD on the production and analyses of top quarks and Higgs bosons at colliders will be investigated. The number of Higgs bosons as well as their masses and charges must be determined in order to fully understand the origin of mass and the underlying symmetry of elementary particle theory. Photon-neutrino interactions are only appreciable under extreme conditions such as those found in the early universe or in compact astrophysical objects. Understanding these interactions may alter our view of the relic neutrino sea or the way in which heavy objects lose energy. Ordinary gravity is too weak to affect elementary particle interactions, but recent developments in string theory suggest that some gravitational effects could be observable in high energy collisions.