Particle Physics Seminar
Wednesday 20th January 2010 at 1:30pm
Poynting Small Lecture Theatre
(tea, coffee and biscuits served at 1:15pm)
Black Holes, Extra Dimensions and the LHC
Eram Rizvi (Queen Mary)
Abstract
The standard model of particle physics is a very successful theory
able to describe a wide variety of phenomena and experimental data.
Yet tensions and shortcomings of the theory exist. One such problem is
the complete lack of any mention of the fundamental interactions of
gravity. This is due to the shocking feebleness of this force in
comparison with all other quantum interactions. This is equivalent to
stating that the Planck scale, the energy regime where quantum and
gravitational interactions are expected to be similar, is enormously
large. Many extensions to the standard model are possible and from the
viewpoint of a naive experimentalist I will discuss models in which
the Planck scale is reduced to the Electroweak scale by introducing
additional structure to space-time, namely extra spatial dimensions.
I will consider existing tests of gravity and implications for the LHC
experiments.