BSMEXPEDITION_Paving the way to a Beyond the Standard Model Theory
Final Report Abstract
At the heart of modern particle physics lies the Standard Model (SM), a theory that has successfully explained the fundamental particles and forces of the universe up to the electroweak scale. This was further affirmed by the discovery of the Higgs particle at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) in 2012. However, the SM is not without its mysteries. It leaves several critical questions needing to be answered, such as the origins of dark matter, the matter-antimatter asymmetry, and the fundamental forces' unification. These unresolved issues suggest the existence of a more profound, more comprehensive theory beyond the SM. Our project embarked on a quest to explore these unanswered questions by seeking extensions to the SM that could provide a more complete picture of the universe's fundamental workings. Unlike previous periods in particle physics, characterized by anticipated discoveries, our journey ventured into uncharted territories without a clear theoretical guide or indication of where new physics phenomena might emerge. The principle of naturalness, which concerns the scales of physical masses, particularly the Fermi (electroweak) scale, has been a guiding light in our exploration. Theories like Supersymmetry, composite Higgs models, and Little Higgs models have been at the forefront, proposing new particles and mechanisms to address the SM's limitations and the hierarchy problem - the puzzling difference between the electroweak scale and the much higher scales of other fundamental forces. Despite rigorous searches, the LHC has yet to find evidence of these new particles, placing pressure on our theoretical frameworks. However, the absence of discoveries does not signify failure but instead refines our understanding and guides future explorations. Our project adopts a dual approach: continuing to search for natural explanations of the Fermi scale while addressing other SM puzzles. The relevance of this work extends beyond the confines of theoretical physics. It touches on fundamental questions about the universe's structure, the nature of matter, and the forces that govern it. By pushing the boundaries of our knowledge, we seek answers to longstanding questions and open the door to new technologies and insights that could have profound implications for our understanding of the universe and our place within it.
Publications
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A global view of the off-shell Higgs portal. SciPost Physics, 8(2).
Ruhdorfer, Maximilian; Salvioni, Ennio & Weiler, Andreas
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Flavourful SMEFT likelihood for Higgs and electroweak data. Journal of High Energy Physics, 2020(4).
Falkowski, Adam & Straub, David
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General non-leptonic ∆F = 1 WET at the NLO in QCD. Journal of High Energy Physics, 2021(11).
Aebischer, Jason; Bobeth, Christoph; Buras, Andrzej J.; Kumar, Jacky & Misiak, Mikołaj
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Electric dipole moments at one-loop in the dimension-6 SMEFT. The European Physical Journal C, 82(10).
Kley, Jonathan; Theil, Tobias; Venturini, Elena & Weiler, Andreas
