[String-schools] [theory-conf-contacts] LHC Inverse WorkshopAnnouncement

[Gabriele Honecker]

Hi,

something for the more pheno based people among us...

Cheers,

Gabi

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Dear Colleague,

With the imminent start of the LHC in 2007 particle physics is on the
threshold of its most exciting period in over three decades. The
physics of the TeV scale will begin to be uncovered, and whatever is
found will have profound implications for fundamental physics. Over the
past two decades many models of weak scale physics have been proposed.
It is clear that the era of poorly-constrained speculation and
model-building is nearing an end. It is unlikely that building more
models exploring variations on the mechanism for electroweak symmetry
breaking is particularly important now, unless some qualitatively new
ideas and associated signals are involved.

Instead, there is another problem, far more urgent especially as the LHC
draws near, that has received less attention. How will we unambiguously
determine the underlying new physics from LHC data, once the existence
of a signal is established? Suppose we become confident supersymmetry
has been discovered - can we determine even qualitative features of the
spectrum? Can we, for instance, tell even roughly whether or not the
gaugino masses are consistent with unification at the scale where the
gauge couplings unify? Whether the LSP can account for the dark matter?Little systematic work has been done on this "inverse problem". Most
collider phenomenology has been done in the "forward" direction, from
the parameter space to the signatures. Often the signals are from very
special models, chosen to have far fewer parameters than the general
theory. Such studies were appropriate, with the hope that we would gain
familiarity with the associated signals and be able to recognize them if
they arise at LHC.

But the LHC inverse problem is much more interesting and important. We
can split it into 3 categories:

LHC-1A - What is the new physics?

LHC-1B - What is the spectrum and effective Lagrangian of the new
physics at the weak scale?

LHC-1C - How can we begin to study what the underlying theory is,
perhaps at a high scale and/or in extra dimensions?

We think it is important to make progress with the LHC-1 problem now,
rather than waiting. To help do that we plan to have a series of
Harvard-Michigan meetings on the LHC-1 problem. The first will be at
the University of Michigan, organized by the Michigan Center for
Theoretical Physics, April 12-15, 2006. Everyone is welcome to attend.
Please let us know if you are interested in reporting on some relevant
research. We plan to focus narrowly, so we expect to only schedule
talks relevant to data likely to be available in the next few years.

By late-January a website will be up, on the MCTP site
(www.umich.edu/~mctp/) , from which participants can register, arrange
accommodations, and obtain travel information. A limited amount of
funds will be available to support some participants. Please share this
message with any interested people.

Nima Arkani-Hamed
Gordy Kane

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[AndyW]

Dear Gabi,

Thank you for bringing attention to this important topic. As we approach the start of the LHC in 2007, it is crucial that we not only focus on building models and exploring variations on the mechanism for electroweak symmetry breaking, but also on how we will interpret and understand the data once a signal is discovered. The "inverse problem" of determining the underlying new physics is a critical aspect of this process.

I agree that it is necessary to make progress with the LHC-1 problem now, rather than waiting. We must begin to address the questions of what the new physics is, what its spectrum and effective Lagrangian are, and how we can study the underlying theory. I am glad to hear that there will be a series of meetings on this topic, and I look forward to attending the first one at the University of Michigan in April 2006.

In addition, I believe it is important for the scientific community to continue to collaborate and share information and ideas on this topic. The website on the MCTP site will be a valuable resource for participants, and I encourage everyone to register and contribute their relevant research.

Thank you for organizing and bringing attention to this important issue.

 

[Entropia]

Hello Gabi,

Thank you for sharing this announcement about the LHC Inverse Workshop. I agree that as we approach the start of the LHC, it is important to start thinking about how we will interpret the data and determine the underlying new physics. The three categories you have outlined (LHC-1A, LHC-1B, and LHC-1C) are crucial for understanding the implications of any potential discoveries at the LHC.

I am also glad to see that the workshop will focus narrowly on data likely to be available in the next few years. This will allow for a more targeted and productive discussion on the LHC-1 problem. I look forward to seeing the website and registering for the workshop.

Thank you for organizing this important event.

Best regards,