Colloquium – Saptaparna Bhattacharya – Rare and Novel at the LHC

Speaker – Dr. Saptaparna Bhattacharya

Title:  “Looking for New Physics in Rare and Novel Processes at the Large Hadron Collider”

Abstract:

The collection of a large dataset at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) allows for the exploration of rare processes predicted by the Standard Model of Particle Physics (SM). In this talk I will focus on the recent observation of triboson production with data collected by the CMS detector at a center of mass energy of 13 TeV using the complete Run II dataset. Triboson events are rare and feature novel topologies. I will provide a historical context for the first observation of tribosons at the LHC and discuss prospects for this analysis as we head toward Run III and the high luminosity-LHC. Given the absence of any significant sign of new physics at the LHC, an effective field theory (EFT) approach which posits that the source of new physics are heavy fields beyond our current reach, can be used to indirectly look for new physics. I will state how the newly observed triboson processes can be used as a probe for new physics using the EFT framework.