PHY591 - Champs, particules et matière (2023-2024)

Mathieu De Naurois (mathieu.de-naurois@polytechnique.edu, Ecole polytechnique, Tel. 01 69 33 55 97)
Christoph Kopper (christoph.kopper@polytechnique.edu, École polytechnique, Tel. 01 69 33 42 61)
Cédric Lorcé (cedric.lorce@polytechnique.edu, École polytechnique, Tel. 01 69 33 42 14)
Stéphane Munier (stephane.munier@polytechnique.edu, Ecole polytechnique, Tel. 01 69 33 42 85)
Pascal Paganini (pascal.paganini@polytechnique.edu, Ecole polytechnique, Tel. 01 69 33 55 62)

The aim of this full-time research internship is to expose students to fundamental research as it is practiced in therorical physics or experimental particle physics laboratories. The internship is designed to students motivated by this kind of research but also to those who, having decided to do something different, want to experience fundamental research during 4-5 months. It will allows them discover what is the researcher's work in these disciplines. Depending on the theme of the internship, it is required to have taken these course: PHY430, PHY431, PHY433, PHY551, PHY553, PHY554, PHY561, PHY566, PHY568, MAT/PHY575, PHY584.

SUBJECT OF STUDY

There are three categories of internship topics:

1/ Field theory, statistical physics and mathematical physics (contact Christoph Kopper, Stéphane Munier)

In physics, the wide range of liberty on microsopic scale leads to - on meso- or macroscopic scales - various quantum or statisctical phenomena that we need to understand. Spectacular progress is being made thanks to the use of concepts of field theory and probabilities in quantum or statistic mechanics, and some subjects of the option are related. Other subjects illustrate the application of concepts of field theory and statistical physics to fields that are a priori external to it, for example complex systems. Finally, themes inspired by biology providing intersting subjects for statistic physics.

2/ Theorical particle physics and physics of gravity (contact Christoph Kopper, Cédric Lorcé, Stéphane Munier)

It aims to know the structure and interactions of fundamental particles. A breakthrough has been achieved when all known interactions were discovered () that may be described with a same language: the "jauge theory". The result was brilliantly confirmed by experience, until the discovery of the Higgs boson in 2012 which we will now study in more detail. Subjects of study are, on one hand the study of the precise predictions of the standard model in its various domains, and on the other, its possible extensions in the form of a supersymmetric extension between bosons and fermions etc. The strong interaction analysis often requires non-disruptive methods which apply to the electroweak sector of the standard model. The problems raised by the construction of a quantum theory of gravitation led to string theories other extensive objects. Problems from cosmology related to dark matter and energy that find their reflection in many experience (projects) to highlight them.

3/ Experimental particle physics (contact Mathieu De Naurois, Pascal Paganini)

What is black matter made of in the universe? What are the masses of enigmatic neutrinos? What is the origin of such different masses of elemantal particles? Is there only one Higgs particle? Here are four of the many questions raised today by particle physicists, theorists and investigators. Experimental information, passing by the new phenomenon discovery or by precision measures, is essential to inspire and test theory. Major experimental programs are currently being designed, realized or operated by international collaborations. All use advanced techniques in various areas: fast electronics, informatics in real time, data processing, power laser or physics of particle detector. Students who are motivated by the main questions in physics will have the opportunity to experiment. They will generally be supervised as part of a team, which will entrust them with the guided data analysis from experiences or simulations. Among the internships, some are about topical issues: neutrinos oscillations, research on Higgs boson at the LHC, fundamental symmetries, particle astrophysics. Other internships could focus on development of detectors or the study of future acceleration techniques.

RESEARCH INTERNSHIP PROGRESS

Students are encouraged to form duos to do their internship, in order to benefit from exchanges between them.

Subjects of study can lead to an original research work and publication, they require a preliminary introduction during a more or less time depending on the subject.

This acquisition of complementary skills to the Ecole's teaching will take place during the internship, but can also be guided by internship supervisors as needed.

Internships will take place in laboraties in the Paris region, province or abroad. Some of experimental internships include data allowing collection in major accelerators (CERN, Japan), other in foreign academic laboratories: Belgium, Canada, Germany, United Kingdom, United States (work language: English).

Supervisors and professors are at your disposal to give you precisions on each subject proposed () and eventually them to your liking. they are also willing to look into the possibility of organizing internships on other subjects that motivated students may wish to study, or experimental internships at the CERN (require English practice).

According to the time necessary to in subject of internship offered, it is mandatory to choose your subject and discuss it well in advance with your future internship director and option supervisor.

For your information, here are some subjects proposed in the early years:

• Renormalization theory
• Gravitation theory
• String theory
• Supersymmetry
• Random matrices
• Statistic physics balance
• Stochastic quantum equations
• Micromanipulation of DNA molecule
• Black hole capture by a neutron star
• Cosmic neutrinos
• Dark matter
• Meson desintegration and physics beyond the standard model
• Higgs boson
• Desintegration of the Higgs boson in two tau leptons
• Observation of a quantum phenomenon for 300km: neutrinos oscillation in Japan
• Cosmic photons of extremely high energy and Lorentz violation
• Beam test at the CERN of highly granular for a futur e+e- linear collider
• Developing today the tomorrow's particle accelerators: laser-plasma acceleration
• Gamma-ray burst and cosmic collisions
• Comsic collision development
• Detection of black matter in liquid argon
• Small-scale gravity

Course language: French