Colloquium by Dr. Prasanna Kumar Dhani
Title: Finding New Physics in the Details: Precision QCD for the LHC, HL-LHC and FCC-ee
Speaker: Dr. Prasanna Kumar Dhani, University of Zurich
Abstract: The Standard Model of particle physics has passed every test at the Large Hadron Collider, yet it cannot explain dark matter, neutrino masses or the matter–antimatter asymmetry. Since no new particles have been seen directly, new physics may first appear as small deviations from Standard Model predictions in specific corners of phase space. Detecting such deviations requires theoretical predictions as precise as the measurements. In this colloquium I will show how precision has repeatedly led to discovery, from Neptune to the top quark, and how precision in quantum chromodynamics (QCD) settles questions such as the W-boson mass today. I will explain how these predictions are made, why each new order in perturbation theory is a major challenge, and why theory will become the limiting factor at the High-Luminosity LHC and the proposed FCC-ee. I will then present my work on the universal infrared structure of QCD, which supplies key ingredients for precise predictions at both colliders. I will close with an open question at the foundation of collider physics: is QCD factorization exact?
Venue: Seminar Room (202), Physics Department IIT Bombay, Powai, Mumbai