Grant: Subatomic Physics Envelope - Individual

Particle physics aims at understanding the building block of nature. For example, most of what we are made of is composed of electrons, protons and neutrons, the last two being made of quarks. Electrons and protons interact together via the familiar electromagnetic force carried by the photon. We now know that there exist more elementary particles and forces, that are more elusive. Some of those particles come from space, but the best way to study them is to produce them at particle colliders, large instruments that accelerate electrons or protons and collide them at tremedous energy to produce various new particles. We now have a very good description of all the known particle and forces in what is called the Standard Model. However, some mystery remains. For example, what gives most of those particles their mass is unknown. It might be a new force, or it might be a new field. We also know that the universe needs a certain amount of 'dark matter' whose gravitational influence we have observed, but whose identity remain unknown. Whatever gives the particles their mass, the largest and most energetic collider to date, the LHC, will soon be in a position to help us find it. My research project aims at trying to build new models for the origin of mass, and at predicting what could be seen at the LHC for such new models.