Project Details
Projekt
GRK 3186: Looking for signposts towards the New Standard Model of particle physics (NewSM)
Subject Area
Particles, Nuclei and Fields
Term
since 2026
Project identifier
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 556371633
Currently, the situation in particle physics poses an exciting challenge: On the one hand, the Standard Model of particle physics describes the results of collider experiments very well, on the other hand, it leaves several crucial questions open. The Standard Model can neither explain the existence of dark matter nor why there is more matter than antimatter in the universe, and the mechanism for the generation of neutrino masses remains unclear. There is no deeper understanding of the spectrum of the fundamental particles, the forces are only partially unified, and the sector of electroweak symmetry breaking is still full of theoretical puzzles. There is a plethora of ideas of how to overcome some of these shortcomings by extending the Standard Model to a new, more complete Standard Model. However, since currently there is no clear hint which of these ideas for physics beyond the Standard Model is realized in Nature, a broad research programme is needed. The main goal is to find signposts towards the "new Standard Model" that follows the success of the Standard Model but also solves at least some of the unresolved puzzles mentioned above. The research programme of this Research Training Group includes four research areas: Exploration of the Higgs sector, precision physics with Standard Model particles, searches for dark matter, new particles and new structures, as well as technology development. These research areas comprise projects within high-energy-collider physics, flavour physics, direct searches for dark matter and low-background physics, as well as beamdump experiments and include experimental activities as well as theoretical tasks with precision calculations in the Standard Model and its extensions as well as phenomenological studies. The research area of technology development covers the development of detectors, federated computing structures, as well as analysis methods. The Research Training Group will support the exchange between the different research areas and allow for synergy effects so that a broad search for signposts toward the new Standard Model can be performed. The unique, synergetic structure of our research programme facilitates a qualification programme for the doctoral researchers that both broadens their scientific knowledge and deepens their expertise in methods and techniques related to their research project. It further supports the career development and the acquirement of professional competence for inside as well as outside academia and strengthens soft skills. The qualification programme encourages the exchange between the doctoral researchers, which, on the one hand, will be beneficial for the envisaged research programme but, on the other hand, will lead to an extraordinarily profitable experience of the doctoral researchers in a supporting university environment.
DFG Programme
Research Training Groups
Applicant Institution
Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg
Spokesperson
Professorin Dr. Heidi A. Rzehak
