Abstract: I will show that, for an approximate SO(N) global symmetry spontaneously broken by the fundamental representation there is an infinite class of radiatively stable pseudo-Nambu-Goldstone (pNGB) potentials which are Gegenbauer polynomials. This observation will be used to construct new classes of pNGB Higgs models, “Gegenbauer Higgs” and “Gegenbauer’s Twin”, which are significantly less fine-tuned than previously considered pNGB Higgs … Read More
Abstract: In this talk, I explore the impact of stellar kinematics on understanding the particle nature of Dark Matter in four separate locations: the solar neighborhood, the Galactic center, dwarf galaxies, and streams. I first discuss the implications of the different stellar components on direct detection experiments. I show how to use the velocity distribution of stars in the solar neighborhood to determine the empirical velocity … Read More
Abstract: Non-trivial inflaton self-interactions can yield calculable signatures of primordial non-Gaussianity that are measurable in cosmic surveys. Surprisingly, the phase transition to slow-roll eternal inflation is often incalculable in the same models. Instead, this transition is sensitive to the non-Gaussian tail of the distribution of scalar fluctuations, which probes physics inside the horizon, potentially beyond the cutoff scale of the … Read More
Abstract: Models of freeze-in feature a departure from equilibrium over an extended period of the early universe’s history, and they can naturally give rise to the observed matter-antimatter asymmetry. I will present several recent developments in freeze-in leptogenesis, including a new, testable mechanism for the simultaneous production of dark matter and baryogenesis via dark matter oscillations, as well as studies … Read More
Abstract: Core-collapse supernovae (CCSN) are efficient laboratories to explore physics beyond the standard model (SM). In particular, they have been used to put strong constraints on axion and axion like particles, and on many other motivated extensions of the SM. In this talk I will first introduce the subject and then focus on some new results for muon-philic interactions. These results … Read More
Abstract: Progress in particle physics research comes from the connection of physics motivation to high energy accelerator experiments. Several key mysteries such as the nature of dark matter and fine tuning in the Higgs mass underline the need for new physics at the TeV scale, and the Large Hadron Collider provides an essential probe for discovery in this regime. This … Read More
Abstract: Modern machine learning tools are allowing us to explore high energy physics data in new ways. These approaches may enable discoveries that were unthinkable with existing strategies. I introduce these new “anomaly detection” methods, which differ from typical approaches developed for non-scientific applications. While these methods are just starting to be applied to experimental data, there is an exciting … Read More
>Troy Cortez is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting. Join Zoom Meetinghttps://lbnl.zoom.us/j/99947593459?pwd=YzNzL0ZyQTFnVnJ2YjFraHZWR0hJUT09 Meeting ID: 999 4759 3459Passcode: 708867One tap mobile+16699006833,,99947593459#,,,,*708867# US (San Jose)+12133388477,,99947593459#,,,,*708867# US (Los Angeles) Dial by your location +1 669 900 6833 US (San Jose) +1 213 338 8477 US (Los Angeles) +1 669 219 2599 US (San Jose) +1 971 247 1195 US (Portland) +1 206 … Read More
Precision early universe cosmology from gravitational waves Abstract: Gravitational waves have opened a new window into the early universe. Due to their small interactions, gravitational waves can travel effectively freely to us, carrying information from early stages of the universe, when temperatures and densities were much larger than what can be achieved in laboratories. In this talk, I will first … Read More