Linking theory with experiment: searches for new light particles

将理论与实验联系起来：寻找新的光粒子

• 批准号: MR/V024566/2
• 负责人: Edward Hardy
• 金额: $ 63.62万
• 依托单位: University of Oxford
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Fellowship
• 财政年份: 2023
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2023 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=MR%2FV024566%2F2
• 关键词: Linking; theory; experiment; searches; new

Despite its numerous spectacular successes, the standard model of particle physics, which underpins our description of the Universe at its most fundamental level, is far from complete. One of its most dramatic failings is its inability to account for dark matter. Dark matter is a new form of matter that is necessary to explain astrophysical and cosmological observations, but which has never been directly detected, despite accounting for five times as much of the Universe's mass as ordinary matter does. In this fellowship I will resolve challenging open theoretical questions that are crucial for the experimental search for dark matter, and I will form a new research group that acts as a bridge from theory to a concurrent major UK and international experimental programme. Doing so will maximise the physics returns from experimental efforts and investment. It will also provide vital input that will feed into the development of new instruments, substantially increasing the probability of a revolutionary experimental discovery.One of the foremost candidates to comprise dark matter is a new light particle, since such particles naturally appear in many theoretical models; are automatically produced in the early universe and can explain other mysteries of the standard model. To behave as dark matter new light particles must couple to the visible sector extremely weakly, which makes their discovery challenging. Nevertheless, recent technological advances, for example in quantum amplifiers, mean that these new light particles can now be searched for. Consequently, there is a growing experimental effort aimed at their detection, both in the UK and internationally. However, such searches face numerous challenges: for example, a new light particle could have a mass anywhere in a range that spans more than twenty orders of magnitude, whereas any one instrument can only target a very limited set of masses.By studying the dynamics of new light particles in the early universe I will make predictions for the dark matter mass. This will dramatically aid the experimental effort by providing sharp mass predictions that instruments can be developed to target. I will also calculate complementary constraints on such particles from observations of stars, to ensure that the experiments are designed to be sensitive to parts of parameter space that are not already ruled out. Further, I will investigate potential new routes to detection by understanding the way that such particles interact with ordinary matter, and complementary signals including in searches for gravitational waves.My research will benefit theoretical physics as well as the experimental effort. By understanding the properties of new light particles, constraints from experiments can be used to conclusively rule out theoretical models. In the most exciting scenario of a discovery, such work will prove invaluable in determining what has been found and what this means for our understanding of the Universe. For example, a discovery in a specific mass range could tell us about the Universe's evolution at extremely early times, when it was at an energy higher than any we could ever directly study.A unique aspect of my proposed work is the planned direct links to researchers developing a new UK based experimental facility searching for dark matter. My proposed work will strengthen and further motivate these efforts, and it will lead to connections all the way from theoretical physics to the design and production of quantum devices. In doing so it has the potential to both revolutionise our understanding of fundamental nature of the Universe, and to substantially strengthen a programme that will lead to significant technological development and spinoff applications.

尽管粒子物理学的标准模型取得了许多惊人的成功，但它在最基本的层面上支撑着我们对宇宙的描述，但它还远未完成。它最引人注目的失败之一是它无法解释暗物质。暗物质是解释天体物理学和宇宙学观测所必需的一种新物质形式，但从未被直接探测到，尽管它占宇宙质量的五倍是普通物质的质量。在这项奖学金中，我将解决对暗物质实验探索至关重要的具有挑战性的开放理论问题，并且我将组建一个新的研究小组，充当从理论到同时进行的英国和国际主要实验计划的桥梁。这样做将使实验努力和投资的物理回报最大化。它还将为新仪器的开发提供重要的输入，从而大大增加革命性实验发现的可能性。构成暗物质的最重要的候选者之一是一种新的光粒子，因为这种粒子自然出现在许多理论模型中;是在早期宇宙中自动产生的，可以解释标准模型的其他奥秘。为了表现得像暗物质，新的光粒子必须极其微弱地与可见光区域耦合，这使得它们的发现具有挑战性。然而，最近的技术进步，例如量子放大器的进步，意味着现在可以寻找这些新的光粒子。因此，在英国和国际上，针对它们的检测的实验努力不断增加。然而，这样的搜索面临着许多挑战：例如，一个新的轻粒子的质量可能在超过二十个数量级的范围内的任何地方，而任何一台仪器只能瞄准非常有限的一组质量。我将对早期宇宙中新的光粒子进行预测，对暗物质质量进行预测。这将通过提供精确的质量预测来极大地帮助实验工作，从而可以开发仪器来瞄准。我还将通过对恒星的观测来计算对此类粒子的补充约束，以确保实验设计对尚未排除的参数空间部分敏感。此外，我将通过了解这些粒子与普通物质相互作用的方式以及互补信号（包括搜索引力波）来研究潜在的新探测途径。我的研究将有利于理论物理学和实验工作。通过了解新的轻粒子的特性，实验的约束可以用来最终排除理论模型。在最令人兴奋的发现场景中，此类工作将证明在确定已发现什么以及这对我们理解宇宙意味着什么方面具有无价的价值。例如，特定质量范围内的发现可以告诉我们宇宙在极早期的演化，当时宇宙的能量高于我们可以直接研究的任何能量。我提出的工作的一个独特方面是计划与研究人员在英国开发了一个新的寻找暗物质的实验设施。我提出的工作将加强并进一步激励这些努力，并将导致从理论物理到量子器件的设计和生产的所有联系。这样做有可能彻底改变我们对宇宙基本性质的理解，并大大加强一项将带来重大技术发展和衍生应用的计划。