# KU Physics & Astronomy LOcally Organized Assembly (PALOOZA) meeting 2020-2021

23-26 February 2021
Zoom Passcode: 990417
America/Chicago timezone

## Search for new physics via the photo-production of tau leptons

23 Feb 2021, 17:55
10m
Zoom Link: https://kansas.zoom.us/j/92389769214 (Zoom Passcode: 990417)

#### Zoom Passcode: 990417

Zoom Link: https://kansas.zoom.us/j/92389769214 Zoom Passcode: 990417 Zoom Meeting ID: 923 8976 9214

### Speaker

Mr Matthew Matthew T Nickel (University of Kansas)

### Description

There is a two sigma discrepancy between the standard model predictions and the experimental values of the anomalous magnetic moment of the muon ($a_{\mu}$). This difference suggests the possibility of beyond the standard model physics. The tau lepton, $\tau$, is 16 times more massive than the muon, $\mu$.
Measuring $a_{\tau}$ would be an even better test of the standard model, since sensitivity to new physics is expected to be proportional of the lepton's mass squared. Such a measurement is complicated by the short $\tau$ lifetime. A theoretical analysis done by Beresford and Liu \cite{Beresford:2019gww} using Monte Carlo data shows that measurement of the $a_{\tau}$ is possible in ultra peripheral collisions. We propose measuring $a_{\tau}$ using existing Pb-Pb data at $\sqrt{s_{NN}} = 5.02$ TeV from the CMS detector. With this data we hope to reduce uncertainty by a factor of 3 over existing measurements of $a_{\tau}$.

Type of contribution Oral contribution (10 minutes)

### Primary author

Mr Matthew Matthew T Nickel (University of Kansas)