LEAPS-MPS: Study of the Electroweak Mechanism through a Search for Beyond the Standard Model Higgs Bosons

NSF Award Search · 01002526DB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT · $249,858 · view on nsf.gov ↗

Abstract

The Standard Model (SM) of particle physics is a remarkably successful framework that explains the fundamental building blocks of matter and their interactions, leading to the formation of composite structures such as atoms. The 2012 discovery of the Higgs boson by the ATLAS and CMS experiments at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) was a major milestone in confirming the SM. Yet, several fundamental questions remain unanswered: Why is the universe dominated by matter over antimatter? What explains the nonzero mass of neutrinos? What is the nature of dark matter, and how might it relate to the Higgs boson? Most importantly, is the Higgs particle discovered in 2012 the only one, or part of a larger family? These questions motivate theoretical extensions to the SM, including models with an expanded Higgs sector that predict the existence of additional Higgs bosons. The Principal Investigator (PI) proposes to search for these new particles using data from the ATLAS experiment in a decay channel that remains largely unexplored. This research is designed to enable undergraduate students to play a significant role in the computational analysis of LHC data and to engage in international collaboration through visits to CERN. A key broader impacts component of the project involves outreach to high schools in Maryland’s Eastern Shore, where students and teachers will be trained to analyze open ATLAS data and conduct hands-on experiments with particle detectors. Many extensions of the SM

Key facts

NSF award ID
2532778
Awardee
Washington College (MD)
SAM.gov UEI
PN2AXSW62L46
PI
Suyog Shrestha
Primary program
01002526DB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT
All programs
NANO - CHEM
Estimated total
$249,858
Funds obligated
$249,858
Transaction type
Standard Grant
Period
09/01/2025 → 08/31/2027