Prof. Dr. Marina Krstic Marinkovic, LMU Munich

Title: Exploring the tension between nature and the Standard Model by lattice gauge theories

Abstract:

The proposed Emmy Noether junior research group will address fundamental questions related to the unexplored interplay of the theory of strong interaction — quantum chromodynamics (QCD) — with the quantum theory of electrodynamics (QED). This is especially important for comprehending the discrepancy between the prediction of the Standard Model and the experiment pertaining to one of the most prominent quantities in the pursuit of new physics: the anomalous magnetic moment of the muon (muon g-2). Current best experimental measurement of the muon g-2 shows a tantalising three-sigma deviation from the Standard Model prediction and the level necessary for claiming a discovery is five sigma. By replacing continuous space–time with a Euclidean lattice, lattice gauge theories provide a way to capture the non-perturbative effects in the muon g-2 anomaly. The proposed project will obtain a precise estimate of these effects using a novel local description of lattice QCD and QED, which is crucial for achieving an unprecedented accuracy. Given the expected improved precision of the new experiments at Fermilab in the USA and J-PARC in Japan, as well as a recently approved MUonE experiment at CERN, a more precise estimate on the theory side will be key to testing the limitations of the Standard Model of particle physics.