Max Steiman Rose Hills
Search for New Physics with the ATLAS Experiment at the LHC
One of modern physics’ major goals is to understand the underlying structure of the universe. The Standard Model acts as the currently accepted interpretation of the universe’s structure. It is the most successful and tested theoretical framework, but it is not a complete interpretation. The Higgs boson, discovered at CERN in 2012, was the last piece needed to complete the current Standard Model’s content. The Higgs boson is part of an interaction responsible for giving mass to other elementary particles. Due to its nature, the Higgs boson is a great tool for probing physics beyond the Standard Model. Its self-coupling (ability to interact with itself) is key to understanding the universe’s evolution. My research with the ATLAS group at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory focuses on di-Higgs (two Higgs bosons) production to study self-coupling and search for physics beyond the Standard Model. Di-Higgs production cannot be directly observed, and it is extremely rare. My work will be focused on sifting through large datasets of particle collisions and applying machine learning tools to flag rare events that signal di-Higgs production within the millions of recorded interactions.
Message To Sponsor
Thank you so much for sponsoring my work this summer! The seemingly endless possibilities our universe holds are what make me excited about physics. I would like to pursue a career focused on exploring the fundamental laws of our universe, and I am very grateful that your support is helping me take my first step in that journey.