Cosmology and Particle Physics in a Single Experiment David Toback Texas A&M University Physics 102 January 2013 October 2011 David Toback, Texas A&M University Research Topics Seminar

David Toback, Texas A&M University Outline Cosmology and Particle Physics Dark Matter Evolution of the Universe Particle Physics and the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) Can we discover Dark Matter with giant accelerators like the LHC as a way of learning about our Universe? David Toback, Texas A&M University

What is some of the evidence for Dark matter? September 2012 David Toback, Texas A&M University Research Topics Seminar

As the Solar System Turns http://faculty.physics.tamu.edu/toback/Talks/Video/Lab4_SS1_video.swf Gravity and General Relativity David Toback, Texas A&M University

Is that what our galaxy, the Milky Way, looks like? Do the stars orbit like the planets in our solar system? Outer stars go around much more slowly? David Toback, Texas A&M University

David Toback, Texas A&M University As the Galaxy Turns http://faculty.physics.tamu.edu/toback/Talks/Video/Lab4_GX1_video_slow.swf David Toback, Texas A&M University

Lots of Dark Matter out there! No clue what this stuff is… What’s the Matter in the Universe? David Toback, Texas A&M University

David Toback, Texas A&M University The Known Particles No known particles have the properties of Dark Matter Other credible reasons to believe there are new fundamental particles to be discovered Maybe Dark Matter is a New Particle! David Toback, Texas A&M University

Dark Matter = New Particle? Make a Hypothesis based on Astronomy, Cosmology and Particle Physics Hypothesis:The Dark Matter in the Universe is made up of LOTS of particles that we haven’t discovered yet! Best Guess: Got created in the Early Universe like everything else and is still here today! Then Universe gets bigger Big Bang! High energy collisions between particles in the early Universe If they created Dark Matter, maybe we can also in an experiment! Dark Matter = New Particle? October 2011 David Toback, Texas A&M University Research Topics Seminar

Particle Physics How might Giant Particle Accelerators Help us Answer The Dark Matter Question? Tevatron at Fermilab Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN October 2011 David Toback, Texas A&M University Research Topics Seminar

Can we Make and Discover Dark Matter? High energy collisions between particles in the Early Universe Recreate the conditions like they were RIGHT AFTER the Big Bang If we can produce Dark Matter in a collision then we can STUDY it David Toback, Texas A&M University

High Energy Collisions  New particles Tevatron ≈10 ps after the Big Bang LHC  ≈1 ps after the Big Bang Detector Dark Matter Particle Proton Anti-Proton Ok… Its more complicated than this since Dark Matter Particles don’t easily interact with detectors… Nor do we usually produce them directly Dark Matter Particle October 2011 David Toback, Texas A&M University Research Topics Seminar

Example Detector Surround the collision point with a detector and look at the stuff pops out after a collision as it interacts with the various components 10 Meters Tall! 30 Meters Long! Powerful multi-purpose detector Really Big with LOTS of cool electronics and other toys! David Toback, Texas A&M University

Where in the world is the LHC? France Geneva Switzerland Jura Mountains Actually… It’s down here 100 yards Underground! The accelerator October 2011 David Toback, Texas A&M University Research Topics Seminar

Another view of the LHC Lake Leman Geneva Airport p p 27 km in Circumference! One of the largest and the most complex scientific instrument ever conceived & built by humankind Lake Leman Geneva Airport Collides high energy protons Two huge detectors CMS p p ATLAS October 2011 David Toback, Texas A&M University Research Topics Seminar

What does it DO? Accelerates protons to REALLY high energies, then bashes them together

High Energy Collisions So… The LHC makes really high energy collisions that might produce Dark Matter so we can discover it LHC is creating the conditions like they were RIGHT AFTER the Big Bang Can study Cosmology, Particle Physics and Astronomy with one experiment! David Toback, Texas A&M University

Other Exciting Possibilities May be able to discover Supersymmetry Have we discovered the Higgs Boson? One of the many Higgs bosons? Explain why there is more matter than anti-matter in the Universe Hint for Extra Dimensions or String Theory? David Toback, Texas A&M University

David Toback, Texas A&M University Research Topics Seminar Conclusions It’s an incredibly exciting time to be a scientist! Astronomy, Cosmology and Particle Physics are all coming together! Starting to understand the Big Bang and Dark Matter! If our understanding is correct, a major discovery may be just around the corner at the LHC! Wanna join us? We need your help! September 2012 David Toback, Texas A&M University Research Topics Seminar

David Toback, Texas A&M University Abstract Physicists have entered a golden age of science. We are starting to be able to answer some of the most exciting questions ever asked, including questions that touch on the Big Bang, the fundamental building blocks of nature, and the Dark Matter that fills the Universe. There is good reason to believe that by using the world’s highest energy particle accelerators we can discover how the biggest things in the Universe (like the Universe itself) and the smallest things (like quarks and electrons) are inextricably linked at the most fundamental levels. Perhaps a new fundamental particle is just around the corner to be discovered. David Toback, Texas A&M University