Testing the standard model: precision QCD and muon g-2

Abstract

The absence of a clear experimental signal for beyond Standard Model physics at the LHC indicates that, in the next few years, many tests of the Standard Model will be based on indirect searches through precision physics. In this context, an excellent control over Quantum Chromodynamics (QCD) is essential, since the precise description of several key observables in particle physics require the theoretical knowledge about processes involving quarks and gluons. A noteworthy example is the measurement of the muon anomalous magnetic moment, know as g-2, which shows, at present, an important tension with theoretical predictions. In the calculation of cross-sections and decay rates, the limiting factor in the theoretical precision is, in many cases, the theoretical uncertainties in the value of the fundamental parameters of QCD, namely the quark masses and the strong coupling. In this research project, we will contribute to the reduction of these theoretical uncertainties and will extract, through the use of state-of-the-art QCD, competitive values for quark masses and the strong coupling. We will also contribute to the precise calculation of g-2 in the context of the Standard Model, which is crucial to conclude whether or not we are already witnessing the discovery of new physics. Our results will lead to more precise tests of the theory and will be useful in indirect searches of beyond Standard Model phenomena, especially in those processes involving QCD. (AU)