Blog 5b: Science Fair Proposal

Topic: Particle Physics

Driving Problem: The Minimal Supersymmetric Model describes 5 physical Higgs Bosons, the lightest being very nearly Standard-Model like and relatively easily located by particle accelerators. Such a particle has been discovered with a mass of 125 GeV. Unfortunately, this so severely constrains the mass spectrum of superparticles it is likely neutralino-only cold dark matter cannot exist.

"...However, the recent evidence from Atlas and CMS on a light Higgs scalar with mass m_h\simeq 125 GeV highly constrains the superparticle mass spectrum, which in turn constrains the neutralino annihilation mechanisms in the early universe. We find that stau and stop co-annihilation mechanisms -- already highly stressed by the latest Atlas/CMS results on SUSY searches -- are nearly eliminated if indeed the light Higgs scalar has mass m_h\simeq 125 GeV. Furthermore, neutralino annihilation via the A-resonance is essentially ruled out in mSUGRA so that it is exceedingly difficult to generate thermally-produced neutralino-only dark matter at the measured abundance."

-Baer, Howard: Vernon Berger and Azer Mustafayev. "Neutralino Dark Matter in mSUGRA/CMSSM with a 125 GeV Light Higgs Scalar." Cornell University Library, 17 Feb. 2012. Web. 17 Oct. 2012. http://arxiv.org/abs/1202.4038

Hypothesis: A mixed-higgsino state is the best candidate to describe the Cold Dark Matter in the universe. 

This problem is extremely complex and very multilayered-first of all, I will be looking for the best Cold Dark Matter model using this 125 GeV Higgs (this is an actual finding from the Large Hadron Collider.) I am going by the Minimal Supersymmetric Model and the Minimal Supergravity Model, not the Next-to-Minimal Supersymmetric Model (in which case the answers would be very different.) I will be using, obviously, data on the Higgs and the top quark from various particle accelerators to find the rough mass of the lightest supersymmetric particle and I will check my answers with various similar studies from other scientists. Then, once I have built my Cold Dark Matter model, I want to construct a hypothetical device to find the sparticles involved. I will research different existing experiments, compare the data they have on WIMP candidates, decide whether to make a direct/indirect detector etc. and go from there. My experiment will be almost purely mathematical. 

Category: Physics 

Blog 9: Working EQ and Possible Answers

(Well, it's late. Oh joy.)

My working EQ during the presentation was "What is the most important unsolved problem between quantum and relativistic physics?"

This is way, way, way too general. All the answers I've found could have essential questions of their own. Now, my topic is technically particle physics, so I'm narrowing down the scope of my EQ considerably, likely to just the Standard Model and just one problem. For instance, if I were to pick quantum gravity, I would have an EQ such as this-"What experiment could most likely uncover the graviton and how?" Or something. I don't know yet. I think it will likely be something about my science project.

So far, I've found quantum gravity, vacuum energy, and the lack of a GUT (Grand Unified Theory) or  a TOE (Theory of Everything) to be the best possible answers. So currently physics has no toes or guts. (Bad pun is bad.)