Cosmology and Particle Physics in Collider Experiments David

Cosmology and Particle Physics in Collider Experiments David Toback Texas A&M University Research Topics Seminar September 2012 October 2011 David Toback, Texas A&M University Research Topics Seminar 1

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? September 2012 David Toback, Texas A&M University Research Topics Seminar 2

Dark Matter What is some of the evidence for Dark matter? September 2012 David Toback, Texas A&M University Research Topics Seminar 3

As the Solar System Turns http: //faculty. physics. tamu. edu/toback/Talks/Video/Lab 4_SS 1_video. swf Gravity and General Relativity September 2012 David Toback, Texas A&M University Research Topics Seminar 4

Is that what our galaxy, the Milky Way, looks like? Do the stars orbit like the planets in our solar system? Outer stars go around much more slowly? September 2012 David Toback, Texas A&M University Research Topics Seminar 5

As the Galaxy Turns http: //faculty. physics. tamu. edu/toback/Talks/Video/Lab 4_GX 1_video_slow. swf September 2012 David Toback, Texas A&M University Research Topics Seminar 6

Lots of Dark Matter out there! No clue what this stuff is… What’s the Matter in the Universe? September 2012 David Toback, Texas A&M University Research Topics Seminar 7

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! September 2012 David Toback, Texas A&M University Research Topics Seminar 8

Make a Hypothesis based on Astronomy, Cosmology and Particle Physics Hypothesis: The Dark Matter in the Universe is made up of LOTS of particles that we haven’t r ! yet! e g g discovered n a ig B b g s Early Universe t Best Guess: Got in the Bicreated e g e like everything else ersand is still here today! n e h T v i n U High energy collisions between particles in the early Universe If they created Dark Matter, Dark maybe we can. David also. Toback, in an A&M University October 2011 experiment!Research. Texas Topics Seminar. New Matter = 9 Particle?

Particle Physics How might Giant Particle Accelerators Help us Answer The Dark Matter Question? Tevatron at Large Hadron Collider (LHC) Fermilab David Toback, Texas A&Mat University CERN October 2011 10 Research Topics Seminar

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 September 2012 David Toback, Texas A&M University Research Topics Seminar 11

ti cl e High Energy Collisions New particles Tevatron ≈10 ps after the Big Bang LHC ≈1 ps after the Big Bang e Detector l c i t r a P r e t t a M k Proton Anti-Proton r a D ar k M at t er Pa r Ok… Its more complicated than this since Dark Matter Particles don’t easily interact with detectors… Nor do we usually produce David Toback, Texas A&M University them directly 12 Research Topics Seminar October 2011

Example Detector 10 Meters Tall! 30 Meters Long! Surround the collision point with a detector and look at the stuff pops out after a collision as it interacts with the various Powerful multi-purpose detector components Really Big with LOTS of cool electronics and other toys! September 2012 David Toback, Texas A&M University Research Topics Seminar 13

Where in the world is the LHC? France Geneva Switzerlan d Jura Mountains Actually… It’s down here 100 yards Underground! David Toback, Texas A&M University 2011 The. October accelerator Research Topics Seminar 14

Another view of the LHC 27 km in Circumference! Lake Leman One of the largest and the most complex scientific CMS instrument ever conceived & Geneva Airport Two huge detectors built by humankind Collides high energy protons p p ATLAS October 2011 David Toback, Texas A&M University Research Topics Seminar 15

What does it DO? Accelerates protons to REALLY high energies, then bashes them together September 2012 David Toback, Texas A&M University Research Topics Seminar 16

High Energy Collisions So… 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! David Toback, Texas A&M University September 2012 Research Topics Seminar 17

Other Exciting Possibilities • May be able to discover Supersymmetry • Have we discovered the Higgs Boson? – One of the many Higgs bosons? • Explain why there is more matter than anti-matter in the Universe • Hint for Extra Dimensions or String Theory? September 2012 David Toback, Texas A&M University Research Topics Seminar 18

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! September 2012 David Toback, Texas A&M University Research Topics Seminar 19

Abstract Physicists 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. September 2012 David Toback, Texas A&M University Research Topics Seminar 20