Discrete Symmetries in Particle Physics

Speaker: 
Isabel Garcia Garcia
Institution: 
UC Santa Barbara
Date: 
Wednesday, January 26, 2022
Time: 
11:00 am
Location: 
NS2 1201 and Zoom Seminar
Abstract: 
Symmetries are an essential ingredient in our understanding of particle physics. Yet improvements in our understanding of gravity challenge some of our long-held views on the role of symmetries, as well as the reliability of the Effective Field Theory framework. In this talk, I will discuss how gravitational considerations beyond the realm of Effective Field Theory can provide an alternative perspective on some of the long-standing puzzles of the Standard Model and guide experimental exploration.
 
Focusing on the strong CP problem, I will show how extensions of the Standard Model that restore parity symmetry provide a compelling solution to this classic puzzle, with collider experiments being the most effective probe. Parity solutions are robust against the breaking of global symmetries that we expect in a theory of quantum gravity — in fact, the mandatory breaking of parity by gravitational effects highlights new avenues of exploration through EDM experiments and gravitational waves.
 
Throughout this talk I will emphasize the role of black hole thought experiments on our improved understanding of symmetries -- both global and gauge -- and argue that we have much left to learn from these fascinating objects.
Host: 
Jonathan Feng