Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 23, 2026
05:51
Atomic Force Microscopy to Study the Physical Properties of Epidermal Cells of Live Arabidopsis Roots
Published on: March 31, 2022
2.6K
Long-lived particles at the energy frontier: the MATHUSLA physics case
David Curtin1, Marco Drewes2, Matthew McCullough3
1Department of Physics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A7, Canada.
Summary
Long-lived particles (LLPs) are predicted by theories beyond the Standard Model. The proposed MATHUSLA detector at the LHC could significantly enhance searches for these elusive particles, particularly those with long lifetimes.
Area of Science:
- High Energy Physics
- Beyond Standard Model Physics
- Particle Cosmology
Background:
- Long-lived particles (LLPs) are predicted by extensions to the Standard Model (SM) addressing fundamental mysteries like dark matter and neutrino masses.
- Neutral LLPs with lifetimes exceeding 100 meters are challenging to detect with current LHC experiments due to background noise and limited detector acceptance.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the theoretical motivations for searching for long-lived particles (LLPs) at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC).
- To assess the physics opportunities of a MATHUSLA-like detector for probing LLPs, especially in the challenging long-lifetime regime.
- To develop a model-independent framework for evaluating MATHUSLA's sensitivity to various Beyond the Standard Model (BSM) LLP signals.
Main Methods:
- Comprehensive survey of Standard Model extensions predicting LLPs.
- Development of a model-independent approach to quantify detector sensitivity to LLPs.
- Comparison of proposed MATHUSLA detector sensitivity with existing ATLAS and CMS searches for displaced vertices and missing energy.
- Exploration of BSM motivations for LLPs through extensive sensitivity studies.
Main Results:
- LLPs are a natural prediction of many BSM theories, offering solutions to key physics puzzles.
- A MATHUSLA-like detector can significantly extend LHC sensitivity to neutral LLPs with lifetimes >100m by orders of magnitude.
- The proposed detector provides a unique capability for discovering LLPs in a low-background environment, complementing existing search strategies.
Conclusions:
- The MATHUSLA detector presents a compelling case for enhancing the LHC's LLP search program, particularly for long-lived neutral particles.
- A diverse LLP search program at the LHC, including MATHUSLA, is crucial for exploring BSM physics.
- The construction of MATHUSLA is strongly motivated by its potential to uncover new physics beyond the Standard Model.
Related Concept Videos
02:43Basic Postulates of Kinetic Molecular Theory: Particle Size, Energy, and Collision
37.5K
The ideal-gas equation, which is empirical, describes the behavior of gases by establishing relationships between their macroscopic properties. For example, Charles’ law states that volume and temperature are directly related. Gases, therefore, expand when heated at constant pressure. Although gas laws explain how the macroscopic properties change relative to one another, it does not explain the rationale behind it.
37.5K
01:35Light as Energy
95.6K
The energy required to carry out photosynthesis is light— typically electromagnetic radiation from the sun. The range of all possible wavelengths is known as the electromagnetic spectrum.
Photons
A photon is a discrete electromagnetic particle or bundle of energy. Photons are characterized by their frequency, wavelength, and amplitude, similar to the properties of a wave. Waves with higher frequencies transmit more energy and have shorter wavelengths than longer wavelengths that transmit...
Photons
A photon is a discrete electromagnetic particle or bundle of energy. Photons are characterized by their frequency, wavelength, and amplitude, similar to the properties of a wave. Waves with higher frequencies transmit more energy and have shorter wavelengths than longer wavelengths that transmit...
95.6K
00:23Kinetic Energy
43.2K
Kinetic energy is the ability of an object in motion to do work or enact change. It can take on many forms. For instance, water flowing down a waterfall has kinetic energy. In biological systems, particles of light travel and are absorbed by plants to create chemical energy. Animals consume the chemical energy and give off molecules that carry their scent through the air. They also generate kinetic energy when they run away from predators. Entire systems also possess kinetic energy, like the...
43.2K
04:10What is Energy?
58.5K
The universe is composed of matter in different forms, and all forms of matter contain energy. The different forms of energy on Earth originate from the Sun — the ultimate energy source. Plants capture light energy from the Sun, and, via the process of photosynthesis, convert it into chemical energy. This stored energy from plants can be harnessed in many ways. For example, eating plant products as food provides energy for our body to function, and burning wood or coal (fossilized...
58.5K
02:13Nuclear Binding Energy
14.7K
The difference between the calculated and experimentally measured masses is known as the mass defect of the atom. In the case of helium-4, the mass defect indicates a “loss” in mass of 4.0331 amu – 4.0026 amu = 0.0305 amu. The loss in mass accompanying the formation of an atom from protons, neutrons, and electrons is due to the conversion of that mass into energy that is evolved as the atom forms. The nuclear binding energy is the energy produced when the atoms’ nucleons are bound...
14.7K
01:21Free Energy
51.8K
Free energy—abbreviated as G for the scientist Gibbs who discovered it—is a measurement of useful energy that can be extracted from a reaction to do work. It is the energy in a chemical reaction that is available after entropy is accounted for. Reactions that take in energy are considered endergonic and reactions that release energy are exergonic. Plants carry out endergonic reactions by taking in sunlight and carbon dioxide to produce glucose and oxygen. Animals, in turn, break...
51.8K