Unlocking Hidden Realms of Physics: The Low-Energy Approach

by Ayala Glick-Magid

University of Washington

at Particles and Fields Seminar

Mon, 06 Jan 2025, 14:00
Sacta-Rashi Building for Physics (54), room 207

Abstract

While the Standard Model of particle physics has been remarkably successful, it leaves fundamental questions unanswered—such as the origin of neutrino masses and the nature of dark matter—driving the search for physics beyond the Standard Model (BSM). Low-energy experiments offer a promising path forward, but their success depends on advanced theoretical frameworks that address nuclear many-body challenges and high-order quantum effects.
In this talk, I will present recent theoretical advancements I have developed in three key BSM search areas: charged-lepton flavor violation (CLFV), dark matter detection, and forbidden beta decays. These include deriving previously missing components in non-relativistic effective field theory, essential for interpreting CLFV experiments and dark matter direct detection, and introducing new operators for muon-to-electron conversion, advancing CLFV searches. I will also discuss ongoing research that leverages CLFV experiments, poised to improve precision by four orders of magnitude, to probe axion-like particles and provide novel constraints on their parameter space.
Finally, I will present the first precision predictions for upcoming forbidden beta decay measurements, alongside novel insights into quantum effects, showing that, contrary to previous assumptions, unique forbidden decays can occur at zero momentum transfer. These findings highlight a unique sensitivity to light new physics, inaccessible in allowed decays, opening a new regime for BSM searches and sparking new experimental efforts in the US.
I will conclude by outlining key open questions and how combining nuclear structure insights with quantum calculations can bridge nuclear-scale precision with fundamental questions in particle physics, astrophysics, and cosmology, expanding the scope of BSM searches and creating new opportunities for experimental discovery.

Created on 29-12-2024 by Kats, Yevgeny (katsye)
Updaded on 30-12-2024 by Kats, Yevgeny (katsye)