Challenging the predictions of the Standard Model with Vector Boson Pairs
by
Joany Manjarres(Toulouse)
→
Europe/Warsaw
4402 (IFJ PAN)
4402
IFJ PAN
Description
The Large Hadron Collider (LHC) has been collecting data for several years, and while no clear signs of new physics have emerged yet, the LHC has produced an unprecedented number of W and Z bosons—more than any previous accelerator. In this talk, I will explore the physics we can investigate using boson pairs, how we can use them to rigorously test the Standard Model's predictions, and their potential to reveal new insights.
In the Standard Model, W and Z bosons acquire mass through the Higgs mechanism by absorbing the Goldstone bosons. This results in the bosons having longitudinal polarization, in addition to their possible transverse polarizations. These bosons also interact with the Higgs and with each other, creating triple and quartic couplings—interactions that are precisely predicted by the Standard Model. In particular at high energies, these interactions are subject to delicate gauge cancellations, crucial for preserving the consistency of the theory.
While many measurements have been made using inclusive dibosons, which help us understand how bosons interact, distinguishing the polarization states of these bosons has remained a significant challenge—until now. Recent advancements in theoretical calculations and Monte Carlo generators have equipped experimental collaborations with the necessary tools to measure boson polarization. These tools, combined with sophisticated analysis techniques, are opening new avenues to test the Standard Model.
In this talk, I will present some of the elegant polarization aware gauge cancellations predicted by the Standard Model and how we, as experimentalists, are looking at the LHC data to test whether the physics in this sector behaves as expected. Through precision measurements and polarization aware studies, we aim to uncover whether the Standard Model continues to hold up or if there's something more hidden beneath.
