Research in Elementary Particle Theory

Northeastern University, Boston MA

Investigators

Abstract

This award funds the research activities of Professors Pran Nath, James Halverson, Brent D. Nelson, and Tomasz R. Taylor at Northeastern University. Under this grant, research will be conducted across a wide range of topics in theoretical high-energy physics. These topics include many of the most exciting current research areas ranging from a unique kind of symmetry amongst the elementary particles called "supersymmetry" to speculative theories that might be able to unify quantum mechanics and gravity, such as string theory and F-theory, and studies of new ways of studying the behavior of particles when they scatter --- methods involving so-called "celestial amplitudes". In addition, machine-learning tools will be used to explore the nature of fundamental physics beyond the Standard Model. New data expected to emerge from RUN3 of the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) and from a variety of astrophysical experiments will also be explored for evidence of new physics beyond the Standard Model of electroweak and strong interactions. This research will advance the national interest by advancing fundamental physics at the frontiers of current knowledge within the United States. These research projects will also involve several Ph.D. students working under the guidance of the PIs. In addition, an important part of this project is the outreach program TheoryNet, which fosters direct interactions between Boston-area theorists and high-school students through lecture presentations and demonstrations. More technically, the research to be performed is aimed at developing new formalisms and tools to investigate the nature of physics beyond energy scales currently accessible. This includes theoretical work related to unified models based on strings and F-theory and further investigations on celestial amplitudes. This work also includes the development of methods to find possible evidence of supersymmetry or strings in new data expected to emerge from the LHC. This project will also include the application of machine learning for the exploration of the string landscape and related phenomena. This project will also include work at the interface of particle theory and cosmology, including a more unified framework encompassing dark matter and dark energy. Another area of investigation includes the study of hidden sectors which appear in a broad class of supergravity and string models and which have begun to play an increasingly significant role in both particle physics and cosmological phenomena. This project has a strong educational component which includes the training of graduate students for research as well as the mentoring of undergraduate physics majors. Likewise, the "TheoryNet" program will continue to cultivate interest and excitement for science among the young, to help prepare a future generation of potential scientists and educators. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.