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Cosmology and Particle Physics in Collider Experiments. David Toback Texas A&M University Research Topics Seminar October 2011. Outline. Cosmology and Particle Physics Dark Matter Evolution of the Universe Particle Physics and the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
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October 2011 David Toback, Texas A&M UniversityResearch Topics Seminar 1
David TobackTexas A&M UniversityResearch Topics Seminar
October 2011
Cosmology and Particle Physics in
Collider Experiments
Outline• Cosmology and Particle
Physics–Dark Matter–Evolution of the Universe–Particle Physics and the Large Hadron Collider (LHC)
Can we discover Dark Matter with giant accelerators like the LHC as a way of learning about our Universe?
October 2011 David Toback, Texas A&M UniversityResearch Topics Seminar 2
Dark Matter
October 2011 David Toback, Texas A&M UniversityResearch Topics Seminar 3
What is some of
the evidenc
e for Dark
matter?
October 2011 David Toback, Texas A&M UniversityResearch Topics Seminar 4
As the Solar System Turns
Gravity and General Relativity
October 2011 David Toback, Texas A&M UniversityResearch Topics Seminar 5
Is that what our galaxy, the Milky Way, looks like? Does it
spin like our solar system? Closest stars go around
quickest?
As the Galaxy Turns
http://faculty.physics.tamu.edu/toback/Talks/Video/Lab4_GX1_video_slow.swf
October 2011 David Toback, Texas A&M UniversityResearch Topics Seminar 6
October 2011 David Toback, Texas A&M UniversityResearch Topics Seminar 7
Lots of Dark Matter out there!
What’s the Matter in the
Universe?
No clue what this stuff is…
October 2011 David Toback, Texas A&M UniversityResearch Topics Seminar 8
The Known Particles– No known
particles have the properties of Dark Matter
– Other credible reasons to believe there are new fundamental particles to be discovered
– Maybe Dark Matter is a New Particle!
October 2011 David Toback, Texas A&M UniversityResearch Topics Seminar 9
Astronomy, Cosmology and Particle Physics: The Dark Matter in the Universe is made up of LOTS of particles that we
haven’t discovered yet!Best Guess: Got created in the Early
Universe like everything else and is still here today!
Big Bang!
Then Universe gets bigger
Dark Matter = New Particle?
High energy collisions between particles in the
early Universe If they created Dark Matter, maybe
we can also!
October 2011 David Toback, Texas A&M UniversityResearch Topics Seminar 10
Particle PhysicsHow might Giant Particle
Accelerators Help us Answer This Question?
Tevatron at Fermilab
Large Hadron Collider (LHC)
at CERN
October 2011 David Toback, Texas A&M UniversityResearch Topics Seminar 11
Can we Make and Discover Dark Matter?
• High energy collisions between particles in the Early Universe
• Recreate the conditions like they were RIGHT AFTER the Big Bang
• If we can produce Dark Matter in a collision then we can STUDY it
October 2011 David Toback, Texas A&M UniversityResearch Topics Seminar 12
High Energy Collisions New particles
Tevatron ≈10 ps after the Big Bang
LHC ≈1 ps after the Big Bang
Dark Matter Partic
le
Dark M
atte
r Par
ticle
Detector
Proton Anti-Proton
Ok… Its more complicated than this
since Dark Matter Particles don’t easily
interact with detectors…
Nor do we usually produce them directly
October 2011 David Toback, Texas A&M UniversityResearch Topics Seminar 13
Example DetectorSurround the collision
point with a detector and look at the stuff pops out after a
collision as it interacts with the various
components
Powerful multi-purpose detector
Really Big with LOTS of cool electronics and
other toys!
10 MetersTall!
30 Meters Long!
October 2011 David Toback, Texas A&M UniversityResearch Topics Seminar 14
Where in the world is the LHC?
GenevaFrance
SwitzerlandJura Mountains
100 yardsUnderground!
The accelerator
Actually… It’s down here
October 2011 David Toback, Texas A&M UniversityResearch Topics Seminar 15
Another view of the LHC
CMS
ATLAS
27 km in Circumference!
One of the largest and the most complex scientific
instrument ever conceived & built by humankind
pp
Collides high energy protons
Two huge detectors
Lake LemanGeneva Airport
October 2011 David Toback, Texas A&M UniversityResearch Topics Seminar 16
What does it DO?Accelerates protons to REALLY high energies, then bashes them together
October 2011 David Toback, Texas A&M UniversityResearch Topics Seminar 17
High Energy CollisionsSo… The LHC makes
really high energy collisions that might produce Dark Matter so we can discover it
LHC is creating the conditions like they were RIGHT AFTER the Big Bang
Can study Cosmology, Particle Physics and Astronomy with one experiment!
Other Exciting Possibilities• May be able to discover
Supersymmetry• May be able to discover the
Higgs Boson• Explain why there is more
matter than anti-matter in the Universe
• Hint for Extra Dimensions or String Theory?
October 2011 David Toback, Texas A&M UniversityResearch Topics Seminar 18
October 2011 David Toback, Texas A&M UniversityResearch Topics Seminar 19
Conclusions• It’s an incredibly exciting time to
be a scientist!• Astronomy, Cosmology and
Particle Physics are all coming together!
• Starting to understand the Big Bang and Dark Matter!
• If our understanding is correct, a major discovery may be just around the corner at the LHC!
Wanna join us? We need your
help!
October 2011 David Toback, Texas A&M UniversityResearch Topics Seminar 20
AbstractPhysicists have entered a golden age of
science. We are starting to be able to answer some of the most exciting questions ever asked, including questions that touch on the Big Bang, the fundamental building blocks of nature, and the Dark Matter that fills the Universe. There is good reason to believe that by using the world’s highest energy particle accelerators we can discover how the biggest things in the Universe (like the Universe itself) and the smallest things (like quarks and electrons) are inextricably linked at the most fundamental levels. Perhaps a new fundamental particle is just around the corner to be discovered.
