Dr Yannick Ulrich, a research fellow in the Department of Mathematical Sciences, has been awarded a €1.5 million European Research Council (ERC) Starting Grant to improve predictions for several important experiments in particle physics.
Dr Ulrich will use the five-year grant to develop new theoretical tools for experiments operating at the Precision and Intensity Frontiers of Particle Physics, where scientists are searching for subtle signs of New Physics beyond the Standard Model.
The project, NLP-MC (Next-to-leading Power Resummation for Precision Frontier Experiments), will develop a new type of Monte Carlo event generator. This type of computational tools are used to simulate the physics that is being studied in experiments.
NLP-MC will, for the first time ever, include next-to-leading power effects in these simulations. It hopes to improve the modelling of the photon spectrum by incorporating the dominant quantum corrections in quantum electrodynamics (QED) to all orders in perturbation theory.
This will allow researchers to make more precise theoretical predictions and, in turn, extract more information from experimental measurements.
The project aims to develop the first extendable event generator capable of achieving next-to-leading-power precision.
While the work is primarily focused on the Precision Frontier, the techniques developed could also benefit experiments at higher energies, including future facilities such as the proposed FCC-ee which would be hosted at CERN in Switzerland, where the accurate simulations of the interactions will be vital.
Dr Ulrich said: "I am delighted to be awarded this ERC Starting Grant to pursue my research into precision predictions for low-energy experiments.
"Improving the modelling of photon emission will significantly enhance the quality of theoretical predictions and help flagship international experiments such as KLOE in Italy, PRad in the USA, Belle in Japan, BES in China and MUonE at CERN, Switzerland reach their full scientific potential."
Dr Ulrich is a tenure-track lecturer at the University specialising in theoretical particle physics.
His research focuses on making highly precise theoretical predictions for low-energy experiments, including MUonE. He also develops and maintains the McMule (Monte Carlo for MUons and other LEptons) framework which this project centres around and is involved in the RadioMonteCarLow 2 Initiative.
