This award funds the research activities of Professor Stephen P. Martin at Northern Illinois University.
Professor Martin's research involves theoretical investigations of the properties of new fundamental particles and interactions that may extend our current understanding of the basic building blocks of matter. He is especially interested in theories of supersymmetry, which predicts that for each of the known fundamental particles, there must be a "superpartner" with very similar properties but different spin (intrinsic angular momentum). These new particles are thought to be much heavier and more unstable than the presently known particles, which explains why they have eluded discovery so far. The Large Hadron Collider (LHC) is now colliding protons at energies much higher than ever before, and holds the promise of being able to produce and finally to discover at least some of the new particles predicted by supersymmetry. One of the main goals of Martin's research is to study the precise manner in which the new particles predicted by supersymmetry might be detected and then studied with precision at the LHC and future experiments. He also aims to develop more accurate calculations and tools that will aid in the interpretation of new data. This will be essential for understanding supersymmetry breaking, which is the mechanism that causes these new particles to be heavy. More generally, Martin plans to work on aspects of new fundamental physics that might appear as surprises at the LHC.
This project will also have broader impacts. Martin will mentor graduate students, providing training in research methods, and undergraduate students working on senior seminar projects on topics beyond the traditional university curriculum. He will participate in education and training of high-school teachers through NIU's QuarkNet center and other workshops that share the latest advances in particle physics. He will directly interact with high-school students through local and regional science fairs. Martin also plans to give lectures on supersymmetry at summer schools for graduate students and postdoctoral researchers, helping to make the subject more accessible beyond the community of particle theorists. The research in this project will also help to advance our knowledge of how the building blocks of the universe fit together, providing insights that are of significant interest and curiosity for the general public.
