RESERVED
High Energy Physics Seminar
Wednesday, January 17, 2024
4:00 PM
, Room TBA
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"Neutrino Astronomy, From Dream to Reality"


Naoko Kurahashi Neilson , Drexel University
[Host: Craig Dukes]
ABSTRACT:

The Universe has been studied using light since the dawn of astronomy,
when starlight captured the human eye. The IceCube Neutrino Observatory,
located at the geographic South Pole, observes the Universe in a
different and unique way: in high-energy neutrinos. IceCube's discovery
in 2013 of a diffuse celestial neutrino radiation started an era of
neutrino astronomy. Last year, the first observation of our own Milky
Way galaxy in neutrinos was announced, marking the start of Galactic
neutrino astronomy. This talk will cover why neutrinos are an essential
messenger in astronomy, how the galactic observation was made, and will
review other milestones in neutrino astronomy. Finally, an outlook for
the coming decade and the need for a global strategy will be presented.


 

High Energy Physics Seminar
Wednesday, January 24, 2024
4:00 PM
Dell 2, Room 100
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"Probing Higgs Boson Self-Interactions at the ATLAS Experiment"


Dr. Rachel Hyneman , SLAC
[Host: Chris Neu]
ABSTRACT:

As the most recently discovered fundamental particle, the Higgs Boson offers many promising avenues towards further understanding our universe. One special avenue of study is in measuring the Higgs Boson's interactions with itself, which have significant implications for both the microscopic and macroscopic nature of the universe we inhabit. In this talk, I will discuss how we study the Higgs self-interaction through measurements of the production of pairs of Higgs Bosons at the ATLAS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider. I’ll focus on how we can use machine learning to measure the “impossible” final state in which both Higgs bosons decay to two b-quarks. I’ll then discuss prospects for improving future Higgs Boson self-interaction studies in ATLAS. 

High Energy Physics Seminar
Wednesday, January 31, 2024
4:00 PM
Dell 2, Room 100
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RESERVED
High Energy Physics Seminar
Wednesday, February 7, 2024
4:00 PM
, Room TBA
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Available
High Energy Physics Seminar
Wednesday, February 14, 2024
4:00 PM
, Room TBA
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Available
High Energy Physics Seminar
Wednesday, February 21, 2024
4:00 PM
, Room TBA
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RESERVED
High Energy Physics Seminar
Wednesday, February 28, 2024
4:00 PM
, Room TBA
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"Ultra-high-energy Particles from Vacuum Decay"


Bibhushan Shakya , DESY
[Host: Julian Heeck]
ABSTRACT:

Vacuum decay through a first order phase transition (FOPT) is a realistic possibility in many extensions of the Standard Model of particle physics and one of the most attractive sources of primordial gravitational waves for a variety of current and upcoming experiments. In FOPTs with so-called runaway behavior, the walls of bubbles of true vacuum can reach energies far higher than the scale of symmetry breaking and possibly any temperature ever reached in our cosmic history. The collisions of these bubble walls can then produce ultra-high-energy or ultraheavy particles. This talk will cover recent developments and challenges in the formalism for calculating particle production in such frameworks, as well as applications to solve some of the fundamental problems in particle physics: the production of dark matter and the baryon asymmetry of the Universe.

High Energy Physics Seminar
Wednesday, March 13, 2024
4:00 PM
Dell 2, Room 100
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ABSTRACT:

The REDTOP experiment is a super-η/η′ factory aiming at exploring physics BSM, and Cold Dark Matter in particular, in the MeV-GeV energy range. This range is, at present, the most unconstrained among the energy regions searched by current and planned experiments. The η and η′ mesons are almost unique in the particle universe. Their quantum numbers are all zero, which occurs only for the Higgs boson and the vacuum (except for parity). In that respect, REDTOP is considered a low-energy Higgs factory. Furthermore, less than 80REDTOP aims at collecting more than 1014 η/yr (1012 η’/yr) in a 3-year running period, corresponding to about five order of magnitude of the current world sample. Such statistics is sufficient for investigating several symmetry violations, and for searching particles and forces beyond the Standard Model, including dark matter, by studying rare decays of the η and η′. Recent physics and detector studies indicate that REDTOP has excellent sensitivity to probe all four portals connecting the dark sector with the Standard Model, a feature reached only by the SHIP experiment at CERN. Furthermore, conservation laws and violation of discrete symmetries can be probed in several ways. REDTOP is the only η/η′ factory being proposed in the world. The advanced design of the detector is the key of the experiment. A modest proton beam with low power (30 W) is required. Recent physics and detector studies indicate that REDTOP has excellent sensitivity to probe all four portals connecting the dark sector with the Standard Model. Furthermore, conservation laws and violation of discrete symmetries can be probed in several ways. The physics program and the detector for REDTOP will be discussed during the presentation.

High Energy Physics Seminar
Tuesday, March 19, 2024
3:30 PM
Zoom, Room Below
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Join Zoom Meeting:
https://virginia.zoom.us/j/91815963942?pwd=T3hjYi9oTFhiczlzTnduRUxyTXRGZz09

Meeting ID: 941 6160 2774
Passcode: 360588


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"A SiPM-on-tile calorimeter for the HL-LHC"


Ted Kolberg , Florida State University
[Host: Chris Neu]
ABSTRACT:

The HL-LHC (high luminosity LHC) project offers new opportunities to fully explore the Higgs sector and to extend searches for new physics.  The experiments will need to be upgraded in order to survive the harsh experimental conditions.  The CMS experiment has an extensive program of upgrades including a SiPM-on-tile hadronic calorimeter in the endcap region.  Relative to designs targeted at a future e+e- collider, the CMS implementation of this technology has unique challenges related to the radiation field, event rate, and integration with the existing experiment.  We will review the status of the calorimeter project, now under construction, and highlight some lessons which may be relevant for future collider experiments.

High Energy Physics Seminar
Wednesday, March 20, 2024
4:00 PM
Dell 2, Room 100
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"Current and Future Searches for New Physics at Fixed Target Experiments"


Tyler Horoho , University of Virginia
[Host: Craig Dukes]
ABSTRACT:

The Standard Model of particle physics is our most complete and accurate picture of the Universe, but there are many questions that it cannot answer: What is the particle identity of dark matter? Why was there so much more matter than antimatter in the early universe? How do neutrinos get their mass? Answers to these questions and more are within reach to current and next generation fixed target experiments at accelerator facilities. This talk will discuss a search for light dark matter with the NOvA experiment, an ongoing long-baseline neutrino experiment, and future searches for light dark matter with the Light Dark Matter eXperiment. Additionally, I will present ongoing efforts to measure the efficiency of the Cosmic Ray Veto for the Mu2e experiment, which will probe for charged lepton flavor violation with world-leading precision.

High Energy Physics Seminar
Tuesday, March 26, 2024
3:30 PM
Gibson Hall, Room 211
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Zoom: https://virginia.zoom.us/j/4349825364?pwd=blBZQWFzQitUT2k1Q1lyaG85Nm84QT09

Meeting ID: 434 982 5364
Passcode: Mu2e


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"Searches for long-lived dark matter with the CMS detector"


Prof. Allie Hall , US Naval Academy
[Host: Chris Neu]
ABSTRACT:

The CMS and ATLAS experiments at the CERN LHC have the unique potential to observe and study dark matter that could be produced in proton-proton collisions. Many searches for dark matter have been carried out, mostly focused on Mono-X signatures with "missing" transverse momentum. These searches, however, have so far not observed any evidence for dark matter and are setting increasingly stringent limits on the allowed dark matter mass and cross section. In this talk, I will describe the current CMS dark matter search program, including searches for long-lived dark matter particles that travel some macroscopic distance before decaying within the CMS detector. In particular, I will present a recent CMS search for an inelastic dark matter model in a final state with a pair of collinear, displaced muons and missing transverse momentum and discuss future plans for searches, including for models of self-interacting dark matter.

High Energy Physics Seminar
Wednesday, March 27, 2024
4:00 PM
Dell 2, Room 100
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ABSTRACT:

A series of connected research projects has been carried out for the purpose of seeking physics phenomena beyond the Standard Model. These consist of a precise measurement of the lifetime of a short-lived b-hadron, the Bd-meson; preparations for measurements of CP-violating parameters in Bs decays; development of triggers that select b-hadron events; development of new instruments for improved precision in detecting fundamental particles; and monitoring and mitigating the effect of radiation on the detectors, which is inescapable in their operating environment. Datasets collected by the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) are used for the analyses involving the decays of b-hadrons. These analyses are supplemented by a detailed study of the evolution of the radiation effects in the current and upgraded ATLAS Pixel Detectors, using a radiation damage model and improving the model with the data collected at high luminosities. In the end, a set of comprehensive quality control tests, which include electrical and mechanical tests, has been carried out on the modules of the ATLAS Upgrade Pixel Detector.

High Energy Physics Seminar
Thursday, March 28, 2024
3:30 PM
Zoom, Room linked below
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Zoom: https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__cern.zoom.us


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ABSTRACT:

The production of top quarks in association with bosons (W or Higgs) in final states with multiple leptons is studied. The inclusive cross sections of ttH and ttW processes are determined using data from proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV recorded by the CMS experiment. Additionally, the coupling between the Higgs boson and the top quark is examined, including a search for CP violation. These results are crucial for characterizing the Higgs boson and the Yukawa interaction.

High Energy Physics Seminar
Tuesday, April 2, 2024
10:00 AM
Zoom, Room linked below
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Zoom: https://cern.zoom.us/j/63701097244?pwd=bklDSUR0QUZkWWNrUldzVGpJVmF1QT09


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"TBA"


Steven Boi
[Host: Craig Dukes]
ABSTRACT:

TBA

High Energy Physics Seminar
Wednesday, April 3, 2024
4:00 PM
Dell 2, Room 100
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ABSTRACT:

The discovery of the Higgs boson by the CMS and ATLAS experiments at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) in 2012 brought us the last missing piece of the Standard Model (SM) of particle physics and marked a milestone in subatomic research. Nevertheless, there are several critical questions unanswered by the SM, notably lacking explanations for the nonzero neutrino masses, the issue of dark matter, and the hierarchy problem. These shortcomings have motivated a comprehensive program of searches for beyond-the-SM (BSM) physics at high-energy colliders. 

This presentation presents two searches for new heavy resonances through signatures with hadronic jets using the full Run 2 datasets collected by the CMS. The first search targets resonances that decay into a photon and a hadronic W boson, while the second focuses on the novel signature of the three-jet final state. Both searches are oriented to BSM scenarios in which the new resonances have diminished direct couplings to SM quarks and gluons. Yet, they are still constructed to be sensitive to a broad spectrum of BSM theories. The signal-to-background separation is enhanced by exploiting various jet identification and QCD techniques, and the most stringent or even the first constraints for various BSM processes are obtained. 

Meanwhile, the current measurement of the lepton flavor universality in b->sll transitions with the CMS Run 3 datasets is also introduced briefly. Noval trigger strategies targeting electrons with a transverse momentum as low as 4 GeV were developed and deployed in the 2022 and 2023 data taking, significantly suppressing the expected statistical uncertainty of the measurement. Advanced machine-learning techniques are also being investigated to achieve an unprecedented level of sensitivity. 

Furthermore, the investigation of the communication failure of the CMS Hadron Calorimeter endcap in 2018 is reviewed. This investigation revealed manufacturing weaknesses in the Versatile Transceiver (VTRx) that pose potential risks to several LHC projects. It also spearheaded the development of preventative measures that have been adopted by LHC experiments, ensuring smooth and efficient data taking in LHC Run 3.

High Energy Physics Seminar
Thursday, April 4, 2024
3:00 PM
Zoom, Room linked below
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Zoom: https://cern.zoom.us/j/63701097244?pwd=bklDSUR0QUZkWWNrUldzVGpJVmF1QT09


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"TBA"


Andrew Sutton , Florida State Universtiy
[Host: Craig Group]
ABSTRACT:

TBA

High Energy Physics Seminar
Wednesday, April 10, 2024
4:00 PM
Dell 2, Room 100
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Available
High Energy Physics Seminar
Wednesday, April 10, 2024
4:00 PM
, Room TBA
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"Dumb Machine Learning for Physics"


Yonatan Kahn , University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
[Host: Craig Dukes]
ABSTRACT:

Machine learning is now a part of physics for the foreseeable future, but many deep learning tools, architectures, and algorithms are imported from industry to physics with minimal modifications. Does physics really need all of these fancy techniques, or does “dumb” machine learning with the simplest possible neural networks suffice? I will argue that the needs for interpretability and uncertainty quantification in physics applications of machine learning mitigate toward the use of simpler tools with more predictable performance. I will give several examples illustrating how tools imported from physics may be used to better understand the training dynamics of fully-connected networks, and conversely, how the topology and geometry of collider physics data may be used as a testbed for theories of machine learning relevant for data “in the wild”.

 

High Energy Physics Seminar
Wednesday, April 17, 2024
4:00 PM
Dell 2, Room 100
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"TBA"


Dayne Coveyou , University of Virginia
[Host: Craig Dukes]
ABSTRACT:

TBA

High Energy Physics Seminar
Wednesday, April 24, 2024
4:00 PM
Dell 2, Room 100
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"Recent Progress Toward the LDMX Experiment"


Jessica Pascadlo , University of Virginia
[Host: Craig Group]
ABSTRACT:

TBA

High Energy Physics Seminar
Wednesday, May 1, 2024
4:00 PM
Dell 2, Room 100
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"TBA"


Peter Denton , Brookhaven National Laboratory
[Host: Julian Heeck]
ABSTRACT:

TBA

High Energy Physics Seminar
Wednesday, May 8, 2024
4:00 PM
, Room TBA
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To add a speaker, send an email to ecd3m@Virginia.EDU Include the seminar type (e.g. High Energy Physics Seminars), date, name of the speaker, title of talk, and an abstract (if available). [Please send a copy of the email to phys-speakers@Virginia.EDU.]