Determining the Particle Spectrum of Nature with Black Holes and Colliders

This award funds the research activities of Professor Andrea Thamm at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. Our current understanding of nature at the smallest scales is captured by one of the most successful theories in science: the Standard Model of particle physics. It classifies the known elementary particles and describes their interactions with remarkable accuracy. Yet major open questions, such as the nature of dark matter and the origin of neutrino masses, strongly suggest that the Standard Model is incomplete. Professor Thamm's research aims to identify what new particles may lie beyond the Standard Model and how they might be discovered, thereby advancing the national interest by promoting the progress of science in a foundational direction. She will pursue a two-pronged program investigating a novel approach to definitively determine the particle content of nature from the potential observation of an exploding primordial black hole and searching for well-motivated new particles beyond the Standard Model at particle colliders. This effort will leverage current and future astrophysical experiments, current Large Hadron Collider data as well as projected results from next-generation lepton and hadron facilities. This project is envisioned to have significant broader impacts. Professor Thamm will mentor a graduate student in her research, providing rigorous training in modern theoretical and phenomenological methods, and will contribute to STEM education and public engagement. More technically, Professor Thamm will pursue two complementary directions to uncover new particles using information from astrophysical observations and collider experiments. First, Professor Thamm will develop theoretical and phenomenological tools to infer the particle spectrum of nature from the potential observation of Hawking radiation emitted by a primordial black hole. This includes quantifying how Standard Model extensions affect black hole evolution, the resulting multi-messenger signatures of a potential explosion, and the detectability of such events in current and future observatories. This thrust will help establish experimental readiness by providing concrete guidance on optimal search strategies and robust interpretation frameworks. Second, Professor Thamm will search for well-motivated new physics beyond the Standard Model at colliders by leveraging existing data from the Large Hadron Collider and assessing the discovery potential of proposed next-generation facilities using proton or muon technologies. The analyses will focus on heavy spin-one resonances and light new particles such as axion-like particles and will provide targeted theory inputs to guide experimental searches. Together, these activities will expand discovery reach across several frontiers and improve preparedness for potentially transformative observations. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.