David Toback Texas A&M University Research Topics Seminar October 2011

1. Cosmology and Particle Physics in Collider Experiments David Toback Texas A&M University Research Topics Seminar October 2011 David Toback, Texas A&M University Research Topics Seminar

2. 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 LHCas a way of learning about our Universe? David Toback, Texas A&M University Research Topics Seminar

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

4. As the Solar System Turns Gravity and General Relativity David Toback, Texas A&M University Research Topics Seminar

5. Is that what our galaxy, the Milky Way, looks like? 0 Does it spin like our solar system? Closest stars go around quickest? David Toback, Texas A&M University Research Topics Seminar

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

7. 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 Research Topics Seminar

8. 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 Research Topics Seminar

9. Dark Matter = New Particle? Astronomy, Cosmology and Particle Physics: 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! Big Bang! Then Universe gets bigger High energy collisions between particles in the early Universe If they created Dark Matter, maybe we can also! David Toback, Texas A&M University Research Topics Seminar

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

11. 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 Research Topics Seminar

12. High Energy Collisions  New particlesTevatron ≈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 David Toback, Texas A&M University Research Topics Seminar

13. 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 Research Topics Seminar

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

15. Another view of the LHC 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 David Toback, Texas A&M University Research Topics Seminar

16. What does it DO? Accelerates protons to REALLY high energies, then bashes them together David Toback, Texas A&M University Research Topics Seminar

17. 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 Research Topics Seminar

18. Other Exciting Possibilities • May be able to discover Supersymmetry • May be able to discover the Higgs Boson • 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 Research Topics Seminar

19. 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! David Toback, Texas A&M University Research Topics Seminar

20. 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 Research Topics Seminar