The intersection of particle physics, astrophysics and cosmology is an exciting and data-driven field, where a combination of imaginative basic theory and observations has revolutionized our understanding of the Universe. The PI's research focuses on several areas where the potential for new fundamental discoveries is particularly high: Ultra-High Energy Cosmic Rays (UHECRs) and their sources, new phenomena in particle physics, Galactic and cosmic magnetic fields, and dark matter and its interactions. The highest energy particles in Nature can now be studied in much greater detail and with higher statistics than ever before at the Pierre Auger Observatory. Previous work has shown that Auger data on UHECR atmospheric showers cannot be explained without profound changes to particle physics at an order of magnitude higher energy than the Large Hadron Collider. Observations suggest that a new - chiral - phase of matter may be created.
With this award, the uniqueness of this possibility and its ramifications for theoretical particle physics will be explored. In order to unravel the seeming contradictions in present interpretations of the data, the PI and her group will use a combination of astrophysics analyses to constrain the sources and possible composition of UHECRs and UHE particle physics phenomenology. Other topics of research include identifying possible sources of UHECRs and modeling the Galactic magnetic field, as well as fundamental topics in particle theory, astrophysical constraints on dark matter interactions, plus non-standard supersymmetry signatures and other phenomenology for the Large Hadron Collider.
Broader Impacts include public lectures about the PI's research and about the New York Schools Cosmic Particle Telescope (NYSCPT) project; mentoring high school students, teacher and student participants of NYSCPT, women (and men) graduate and undergraduate students, postdoctoral researchers, junior faculty; and founding participant of the NYU "WINS" program to foster undergraduate women's participation in science and the Collegiate Honors Seminar program, and President of the NYU Women's Faculty Caucus.
