Steve Schnetzer
Rutgers University
Thursday, April 14, 2011
102 JFB
Refreshments: 3:30 pm in 219 JFB
Lecture 4:00pm (102 JFB)
Title: The Elementary Particle Physics Frontier: First Results from the Large Hadron Collider
Abstract:
Experiments at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN probe the structure of nature down to an unprecedentedly small distance scale, a billion times smaller than atomic size. Although the current theory of elementary particle physics, the Standard Model, agrees well with all experimental observation to date we know that it is incomplete and that there must be "new physics" at the LHC energy scale. I'll briefly describe the Standard Model, its limitations and some of the "new physics" (Higgs, supersymmetry) that might be seen at the LHC. I'll then give a general description of the LHC and the basic principles behind the large particle detector experiments using the Compact Muon Solenoid as an example. I'll conclude by presenting a few of the results from the first year of LHC running and discuss what might be in store for the coming year.
