Jonathan Feng (UC Irvine) - The Fall and Rise of Forward Physics
April 29, 2026 3:45 pm - 5:00 pm ET
HAS 124
Jonathan Feng (UC Irvine) - The Fall and Rise of Forward Physics
Particle colliders have been the workhorse tool for particle physics since they were invented over 60 years ago. Forward particles are those that are produced at colliders and then travel in a direction close to the beamline. For decades, forward particles were largely ignored, and all of the large detectors currently operating at colliders are blind to them. In the last few years, however, our understanding of the forward region has been transformed and we now know that this region contains a treasure trove of physics, including the most energetic neutrinos ever produced by humans, possible evidence for dark matter, milli-charged particles, and new forces, and a wealth of other valuable information. To capture some of this potential, the Forward Search Experiment (FASER) has been operating in the forward region of the Large Hadron Collider since 2022. FASER’s latest results will be described, along with lessons learned along the way and their implications for the future of particle physics.
The Physics Colloquium covers a wide range of topics and should be accessible to advanced Physics Majors. Tea and coffee will be served from 3:45pm with the presentation beginning at 4pm.