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The theoretical physicist strengthens collaboration with JGU to develop new calculation methods for experiments at the Large Hadron Collider
Dr. Vasily Sotnikov from the Physics Institute at the University of Zurich has been awarded an ERC Starting Grant, a highly endowed EU grant, which will enable him to strengthen his collaboration with research groups at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU). With his research project "HiNPrecise", he plans to extend the existing theoretical framework to calculate previously unknown scattering amplitudes. These scattering amplitudes provide phenomenological predictions for particle scattering based on the complex formalism of Quantum Field Theory. Such predictions are needed for precision measurements at the world's largest particle accelerator, the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN.
"Dr. Sotnikov is an exceptional young scientist specializing in elementary particle phenomenology using analytical and numerical methods for precision calculations," says Prof. Dr. Stefan Weinzierl, member of the PRISMA+ Cluster of Excellence at JGU and colleague of Sotnikov. "With his scientific focus, he will complement the research of the ‘Theoretical High Energy Physics’ group of JGU and, at the same time, serve as the perfect link to colleagues in the ‘Experimental Particle and Astroparticle Physics’ group of JGU."
The HiNPrecise project: a new generation of computational methods for particle scattering calculations
The LHC is the world's most powerful scientific instrument for exploring the smallest building blocks of nature. Since its first run in 2011, it has been used to make groundbreaking discoveries, such as the Higgs boson in 2012. In the coming years, the LHC will undergo major upgrades that will allow scientists to collect more data and probe particle interactions with unprecedented precision. "To fully take advantage of the opportunity that the upgrades of the LHC present, theory must keep pace with experiment," explains Sotnikov. "Current theoretical tools are not yet capable of matching the extreme accuracy of future measurements. At the heart of this challenge lie enormously complex calculations that describe how particles scatter and interact—calculations so intricate that today's methods can only handle a fraction of what is needed."
The HiNPrecise project will contribute to this effort by developing a new generation of computational methods. "The goal of the project is to make explicit the mathematical and physical structures that until now were hidden in scattering amplitudes calculated with existing methods," explains Sotnikov. "In particular, it will explore what is known mathematically as "singularities", which reflect fundamental aspects of particle interactions. This approach will open the door to calculations that have so far been impossible to perform."
A key focus of HiNPrecise will be the Higgs boson, since its detailed properties are still largely unknown. "HiNPrecise will provide new tools to help explore precisely how the Higgs boson interacts with other particles," adds Sotnikov. Precise calculations of these interactions are crucial for the determination of the behavior of the Higgs boson. These calculations will be essential for testing the process by which elementary particles acquire mass—known as the "mechanism of electroweak symmetry breaking". The results will contribute to revealing whether the Higgs boson behaves as predicted by the Standard Model of particle physics or if descriptions beyond the Standard Model are required.
"Alongside these theoretical advances, the project will also deliver powerful numerical tools for the high-energy physics community. These will support precision studies of complex processes at the LHC and future collider experiments, setting a new standard for theoretical accuracy in particle physics," concludes Sotnikov.
Dr. Vasily Sotnikov studied physics at Moscow State University and received his doctorate from the University of Freiburg in 2019. His doctoral thesis was awarded the highest distinction, summa cum laude. After completing his doctorate, he first moved to the Max Planck Institute for Physics and then to Michigan State University. Since 2022, he has been a senior research associate at the University of Zurich. The ERC Starting Grant will enable him to start his own research group.
ERC Starting Grant: Support for outstanding researchers at the beginning of their careers
The ERC Starting Grant is one of the most richly endowed EU funding awards for researchers at the beginning of their careers. ERC Starting Grants are designed to support outstanding researchers at the beginning of their careers while they form their own research team or establish their research program. In order to receive the grant, applicants must not only demonstrate excellence in research, but also provide evidence of the pioneering nature of their project and its feasibility.
Professor Dr. Stefan Weinzierl
Theoretical High Energy Physics (THEP)
Institute of Physics and
PRISMA+ Cluster of Excellence
Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz
55099 Mainz
phone: +49 6131 39-25579
email: weinz001@uni-mainz.de
Dr. Vasily Sotnikov
Quelle: Ekta Chaubey
Copyright: Ekta Chaubey
Merkmale dieser Pressemitteilung:
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Physik / Astronomie
überregional
Forschungsprojekte, Wissenschaftspolitik
Englisch
Dr. Vasily Sotnikov
Quelle: Ekta Chaubey
Copyright: Ekta Chaubey
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