Symmetries and their breaks: the Higgs field and the cosmological constant problem

• Grant number: 21/02805-2
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: May 01, 2021
• End date: March 31, 2022
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Physics - Elementary Particle Physics and Fields
• Principal Investigator: Luiz Antonio Barreiro
• Grantee: Guilherme de Araújo Nogueira
• Host Institution: Instituto de Geociências e Ciências Exatas (IGCE). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Rio Claro. Rio Claro , SP, Brazil

Abstract

In this project, the symmetries of the standard model and their spontaneous breaks will be explored, especially the Higgs mechanism for breaking gauge symmetry in weak interaction and mass generation. The Higgs field and its vacuum energy will be studied. It is known that the values calculated theoretically using quantum field theory point to a discrepancy of up to 120 orders of magnitude greater than experimental measures, which is known as the Cosmological Constant Problem. The present project also intends to investigate this issue.