External Seminar by Jesse Thaler

Thursday 13 May 2021, 14:00 → 15:00 Europe/London

Title:

The Hidden Geometry of Particle Collisions

Abstract: 
In this talk, I explain how various concepts and techniques in quantum field theory and collider physics can be naturally translated into a new geometric language.  Using the energy mover's distance, which quantifies the minimal amount of "work" required to rearrange one event into another, we can define a distance between pairs of collider events.  This distance can then be used to triangulate the "space" of collider events and rigorously define various geometric objects. Many well-known collider observables, jet algorithms, and pileup mitigation schemes have a simple geometric interpretation, as does the important concept of infrared and collinear safety.  Intriguingly, these ideas can be lifted from a distance between events into a distance between theories, with potential relevance for visualizing and interpreting data from the LHC.

 

Zoom link:  IPPP Seminars (Thursday at 2 pm UK time)

https://durhamuniversity.zoom.us/j/99420124988?pwd=ZEFLSDB3THJtaWZOTU54R25mT1NuZz09

Meeting ID: 994 2012 4988

jthaler_2021_05_HiddenGeometry_IPPP.pdf

recording_seminar_jthaler.mp4