Incorporating a new generation of precision calculations into the LHC analyses.

The measurements performed at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN in Geneva, Switzerland, rarely, if ever, measure directly the particles that are of interest to us. What is actually seen in the LHC detectors is often called "mundane physics" and it is only indirectly related to the kind of physics we hope to explore. As it turns out, the relationship between the particles of interest and the ones that are observed cannot be measured directly but needs to be modeled theoretically. Such a complicated relationship between the objects of interest and the measured ones is an unavoidable consequence of the complex nature of particle interactions at very high energies, like the ones achieved at the LHC.

The theoretical modeling of particle interactions is complicated in a number of ways. There is the pure computational dimension: due to the complexity of the required calculations new and dedicated computational approaches often need to be developed; then there is the dimension related to the imperfect precision of the calculations; finally, there is a usability dimension which simply means that one has to adapt the theoretically computed results to the specifics of the LHC detectors.

The goals of the research performed in the Center for Precision LHC Studies is to: first, increase the precision of the theoretical descriptions by one whole level; second, implement it into computer software which is simple to use and can be utilized by many other researches and, third, study problems related to LHC measurements that could not be explained without the existence of these computational tools. Ultimately, we hope that our research will significantly increase the discovery potential of the LHC.

The research performed at the Center for Precision LHC Studies at the University of Cambridge is of highly specialized nature. Its aim is to offer breakthrough solutions to major problems arising in the analyses of LHC data, and which are relevant to our most basic understanding of Nature. While the broader public may not directly witness the results of our proposed research, the public will nevertheless benefit from it indirectly.

Here is an example of how such indirect benefits are realized: the recent discovery of a Higgs-like particle at the Large Hadron Collider at CERN has clearly captured the imagination of the public. But the question remains: is this Higgs-like particle the Higgs particle and, if yes, is it the Standard Model Higgs particle? To give definitive answers to such questions, a lot of scientific problems of practical and conceptual nature need to be solved "behind the scenes". The goal of the research performed in the Center is to offer definitive answers to such outstanding questions raised in the course of the LHC measurements and in our broader quest to understand the workings of Nature.