Theory and phenomenology at the frontiers of the standard model

The National Science Foundation Division of Physics awarded Northern Illinois University $120,000 on August 15, 2026, under the Mathematical and Physical Sciences program (CFDA 47.049) to support theoretical particle physics research led by Professor Stephen P. Martin.

The award funds research activities advancing understanding of fundamental particles and the physical laws governing their interactions at short distance scales. Martin will pursue enhanced understanding of the Higgs boson and other known particles discovered by the Large Hadron Collider, develop detection strategies for possible new unknown particles at the LHC and planned future colliders, and work on understanding results from experiments investigating dark matter. He will also perform high-accuracy calculations predicting the implications of known and proposed new forces, with focus on multi-loop integrals in quantum field theories and development of new calculation methods for accurate evaluation of fundamental particle physics parameters.

The project includes broader impacts through student training and mentoring at undergraduate and graduate levels and public science outreach including exhibitions and judging at local and regional science fairs.

Performance takes place in DeKalb, Illinois, with a period of performance from the award date through July 31, 2028. This is a project grant, the assistance type for direct research support to individual investigators.

Abstract

This award funds the research activities of professor stephen p. Martin at northern illinois university. This project will advance our knowledge of the particles that are the fundamental building blocks of matter, and the physical laws that govern their interactions at very short distance scales. One important way of making progress in these areas is to detect and study large numbers of particle collisions at high energies. The large hadron collider (LHC) is currently the most energetic particle collider in the world, providing new chances for both discovery and precise measurement. Martin will pursue enhanced understanding of the higgs boson discovered by the LHC, and other known particles. He will also develop strategies for detecting possible new unknown particles at the LHC at planned future colliders. He will work on understanding the interpretation of results from experiments that look for the dark matter whose existence is indicated by cosmological and astrophysical observations. He will also perform calculations of unprecedented accuracy that predict and explain the implications of the known forces and proposed new forces. These activities will advance the national interest by improving our understanding of how nature works at the most fundamental level. This project will also have broader impacts. Martin will train and mentor university students at both the undergraduate and graduate levels on methods of scientific research. He will also interact directly with younger local students and other interested members of the public through science outreach exhibitions and judging at local and regional science fairs. More technically, martin will work on multi-loop integrals in quantum field theories, by developing new methods for their calculation. These methods will be applied to give accurate evaluation of the basic parameters of particle physics, including the masses and interaction couplings of gauge bosons and the higgs boson with each other and with matter. He will also continue his research on supersymmetric models. These theories predict that for each of the known types of fundamental particles, there must be another type with similar properties, but much larger masses. He will study the possible role in supersymmetric theories of axions, which can explain the absence of large CP-violating interactions in the strong nuclear force. Martin will study search strategies for supersymmetric particles at the LHC, and at future proton-proton, electron-positron, and muon-antimuon colliders, with particular attention to compressed mass spectra which are known to be harder to probe. He will quantify the impact of upcoming dark matter indirect and direct detection experiments as they encounter the neutrino FOG, particularly for supersymmetric models with a nearly pure higgsino-like dark matter candidate. 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.- subawards are not planned for this award.