Project Topic: Theoretical particle physics (simply an excuse to say the word "quark" as much as possible.)
Problem 1: Are supersymmetric (SUSY) particles solid candidates for WIMPs (Weakly Interacting Massive Particles?) WIMPs are important to us because they may help us understand what dark matter is. SUSY particles are also very important, as they pose possible solutions to imbalances in the Standard Model, such as the hierarchy problem.
Problem 2: If so, what would be the most effective way to find them? Many physicists dismiss the idea of supersymmetry because they have not been found in the Large Hadron Collider yet. However, I do not believe the Large Hadron Collider is equipped to find such particles, as SUSY particles should not interact in the way normal Standard Model particles do (i.e., a squark, or supersymmetric quark, should not behave the same way a normal quark does. It has its own spin, its own mass, etc.) and we already know the LHC is not equipped to find WIMPs (other experiments are attempting it, but the data they have produced thus far is conflicting.)
(Confession-supersymmetry is an excuse to say the word "squark" as much as possible.)
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