The PIs plan to investigate QCD, electroweak symmetry breaking, and physics beyond the Standard Model. The grant period coincides with the first experiments at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN, which will probe QCD processes to unprecedented precision and discriminate among proposed models of electroweak symmetry breaking. One strand of the PIs' research in theoretical particle physics addresses the origins of mass. They study the causes of electroweak symmetry breaking (responsible for the masses of the W and Z particles that transmit the weak nuclear force) and the mechanisms responsible for the diverse masses of the quarks and leptons, the elementary constituents of matter. While the Standard Model of particle physics can accommodate massive particles, it does so by invoking a particle (the Higgs particle) that has not yet been observed and it does not explain the dynamics through which mass arises. Hence, the PIs seek to advance the understanding of the origins of mass by using field theory, model building, and computer simulation to explore physics that lies outside the Standard Model. Of particular interest are "Higgs-less" models whose only new particles are massive vector bosons, heavier analogs of the W and Z . They plan to construct new models of this kind that can provide insight into the masses of the quarks and leptons, analyze the experimental consequences of such models, and propose incisive new tests based on LHC data. Another strand of the PIs' research stresses topics, such as QCD and the properties of the Higgs boson, that are both intrinsically interesting within the Standard Model and also necessary precursors for many studies of physics beyond the Standard Model. The PIs engage in detailed QCD calculations necessary to compute the production rate and detection backgrounds for a standard model Higgs boson; they provide software to experimentalists to allow for the proper evaluation of experimental results.
This project includes multiple efforts in the areas of linking research to education, diversifying participation, and broad dissemination of research results. The PIs will keep presenting pedagogical lectures at international summer schools for doctoral students and collaborating with Master's Degree and undergraduate Honors students on research and outreach projects. These efforts introduce students to new areas of knowledge and provide them with faculty mentoring. The PIs will continue to create, employ, assess, and disseminate particle physics and cosmology outreach materials for K-12 students and teachers. Several of their annual outreach events focus on female students or those from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds. Simmons will also sustain her efforts to improve the climate for women physicists at the college, university, and national levels.
