Monday, April 20, 2009, Joint Physics Colloquium, 4:30 PM, Wean 7500, CMU

Michael E. Peskin

SLAC, Stanford University

"The Next Spectroscopy: New Elementary Particles at the Large Hadron Collider"

Abstract:

A new particle accelerator, the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), will soon begin its operation at CERN in Geneva.  Particle physicists expect that this accelerator will open to view the next set of interactions beyond the familiar strong, weak, and electromagnetic forces.  In this colloquium, I will introduce the LHC physics program for proton-proton collisions.  I will review experimental results in particle physics and astrophysics that point to a new particle spectroscopy at the LHC.  I will discuss the difficulties of experimentation at the LHC and how they can be overcome. And, I will give some examples of spectroscopic measurements that might be possible in the LHC experiments.