✎ research [Jesse Thaler]

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====== Research Overview ======

Jesse Thaler is a theoretical particle physicist whose research focus is the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) experiment at CERN.

The LHC is pushing the frontiers of scientific knowledge through high energy particle collisions.  With the discovery of the Higgs boson at the LHC in 2012, the standard model of particle physics is now complete, yet its shortcomings loom larger than ever.  The standard model does not fully address a number of outstanding questions in fundamental physics, including the nature of dark matter, the apparent weakness of gravity, and the symmetry structure of our universe.  Together with high-intensity collider experiments and ground- and satellite-based dark matter experiments, the LHC has ushered in a new era of discovery, with enormous potential to reveal what new physics lies beyond the standard model.

In his research, Prof. Thaler aims to maximize the discovery potential of the LHC by applying theoretical insights from quantum field theory.  He is particularly interested in novel methods to test the properties of dark matter at the LHC and beyond, as well as the theoretical structures and experimental signatures of supersymmetry.  Prof. Thaler also develops new methods to characterize jets, which are collimated sprays of particles that are copiously produced at the LHC.  These techniques exploit the substructure of jets to enhance the search for new physics as well as to illuminate the structure of the standard model itself.
====== Biography ======

Jesse Thaler joined the MIT Physics Department in 2010, and is currently an Associate Professor in the Center for Theoretical Physics.  From 2006 to 2009, he was a fellow at the Miller Institute for Basic Research in Science at the University of California, Berkeley.  He received his Ph.D. in Physics from Harvard University in 2006, and his Sc.B. in Math/Physics from Brown University in 2002.  He was awarded an Early Career Research Award from the U.S. Department of Energy in 2011, a Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers from the White House in 2012, a Sloan Research Fellowship from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation in 2013, and a Harold E. Edgerton Faculty Achievement Award from MIT in 2016.
====== Research Interests ======

{{ careermap.png?784 |Early Career Trajectory}}

The dots above indicate publications on my [[cv]].  My research interests span a [[research details|wide range of topics]] in and beyond the standard model:

  * Collider Physics and Quantum Chromodynamics
    * [[research details#Jets and Jet Substructure|Jets and Jet Substructure]]
    * [[research details#Open Data Studies|Open Data Studies]]
  * Theoretical Frameworks Beyond the Standard Model
    * [[research details#Novel Dark Matter Dynamics|Novel Dark Matter Dynamics]]
    * [[research details#Supersymmetry and Supersymmetry Breaking|Supersymmetry and Supersymmetry Breaking]]

====== Selected Publications ======

  * **Dark Photons from Charm Mesons at LHCb**. \\ Philip Ilten, Jesse Thaler, Mike Williams, and Wei Xue. \\ [[http://dx.doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevD.92.115017|Phys. Rev. D92:115017 (2015)]], [[http://arxiv.org/abs/1509.06765|arXiv:1509.06765]].

  * **The Goldstone and Goldstino of Supersymmetric Inflation**. \\ Yonatan Kahn, Daniel A. Roberts, and Jesse Thaler. \\ [[http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/JHEP10(2015)001|JHEP 1510:001 (2015)]], [[http://arxiv.org/abs/1504.05958|arXiv:1504.05958]].

  * **Sudakov Safety in Perturbative QCD**. \\ Andrew J. Larkoski, Simone Marzani, and Jesse Thaler. \\ [[http://dx.doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevD.91.111501|Phys. Rev. D91:111501 (2015)]], [[http://arxiv.org/abs/1502.01719|arXiv:1502.01719]].

  *  **(In)direct Detection of Boosted Dark Matter**. \\ Kaustubh Agashe, Yanou Cui, Lina Necib, and Jesse Thaler.  \\ [[http://dx.doi.org/10.1088/1475-7516/2014/10/062|JCAP 1410:062 (2014)]], [[http://arxiv.org/abs/1405.7370|arXiv:1405.7370]].

  * **Soft Drop**. \\ Andrew J. Larkoski, Simone Marzani, Gregory Soyez, and Jesse Thaler.\\ [[http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/JHEP05(2014)146|JHEP 1405:146 (2014)]], [[http://arxiv.org/abs/1402.2657|arXiv:1402.2657]].

  * **Anomaly Mediation from Unbroken Supergravity**. \\ Francesco D'Eramo, Jesse Thaler, and Zachary Thomas. \\ [[http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/JHEP09(2013)125|JHEP 1309:125 (2013)]], [[http://arxiv.org/abs/1307.3251|arXiv:1307.3251]].

  * **Flavor Mediation Delivers Natural SUSY**. \\ Nathaniel Craig, Matthew McCullough, and Jesse Thaler. \\ [[http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/JHEP06(2012)046|JHEP 1206:046 (2012)]], [[http://www.arxiv.org/abs/1203.1622|arXiv:1203.1622]].

  * **Identifying Boosted Objects with N-subjettiness**.\\ Jesse Thaler and Ken Van Tilburg.\\ [[http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/JHEP03(2011)015|JHEP 1103:015 (2011)]], [[http://www.arxiv.org/abs/1011.2268|arXiv:1011.2268]].

  * **Semi-annihilation of Dark Matter**.\\ Francesco D'Eramo and Jesse Thaler.\\ [[http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/JHEP06(2010)109|JHEP 1006:109 (2010)]], [[http://www.arxiv.org/abs/1003.5912|arXiv:1003.5912]].

  * **Goldstini**.\\ Clifford Cheung, Yasunori Nomura, and Jesse Thaler.\\  [[http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/JHEP03(2010)073|JHEP 1003:073 (2010)]], [[http://www.arxiv.org/abs/1002.1967|arXiv:1002.1967]].

  * **Jet Trimming**.\\ David Krohn, Jesse Thaler, and Lian-Tao Wang.\\ [[http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/JHEP02(2010)084|JHEP 1002:084 (2010)]], [[http://www.arxiv.org/abs/0912.1342|arXiv:0912.1342]].

  * **Dark Matter through the Axion Portal**.\\ Yasunori Nomura and Jesse Thaler.\\ [[http://link.aps.org/abstract/PRD/v79/e075008|Phys. Rev. D79:075008 (2009)]], [[http://www.arxiv.org/abs/0810.5397|arXiv:0810.5397]].
====== Media ======

==== Profiles and Highlights ====

  * [[https://news.mit.edu/2020/nsf-announces-mit-led-institute-artificial-intelligence-fundamental-interactions-0826|IAIFI Launch]] ([[https://www.nsf.gov/news/special_reports/announcements/082620.jsp|NSF]], [[https://www.news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2020/08/harvard-a-partner-in-20-million-ai-institute/|Harvard]])
  * [[http://news.mit.edu/2019/new-physics-anomalous-particles-0726|Energy Mover's Distance]]  ([[https://muon.wordpress.com/2019/02/24/miracles-when-you-use-the-right-metric/|Collider Blog]], [[https://arstechnica.com/science/2019/07/mit-physicists-social-networks-could-hold-the-key-to-finding-new-particles/|Ars Technica]], [[https://phys.org/news/2019-08-metric-capture-similarity-collider-events.html|Phys.org]])
  * [[http://news.mit.edu/2018/mit-center-theoretical-physics-marks-50th-anniversary-symposium-looking-present-and-future-0328|CTP@50]]
  * [[http://news.mit.edu/2017/faculty-profile-jesse-thaler-1107|2017 Faculty Profile]] ([[http://spotlight.mit.edu/2017/chalkboard-theorist|MIT Front Page]])
  * [[http://news.mit.edu/2017/first-open-access-data-large-collider-subatomic-particle-patterns-0929|CMS Open Data]]
  * [[http://news.mit.edu/2016/team-simulates-magnetar-seek-dark-matter-particle-1007|ABRACADABRA]]
  * [[http://www.jthaler.net/downloads/jthaler_MillerNewsletter.pdf|Miller Fellow Focus Article]]

==== Awards and Honors ====

  * [[http://news.mit.edu/2018/mit-center-theoretical-physics-professors-quantum-information-science-awards-1012|QuantISED]]
  * [[http://news.mit.edu/2017/seven-mit-science-professors-granted-tenure-0628|Promotion]]
  * [[http://news.mit.edu/2016/ribbeck-thale-edgerton-award-0420|Edgerton Award]]
  * [[http://newsoffice.mit.edu/2013/six-mit-researchers-win-sloan-research-fellowships|Sloan Award]]
  * [[http://newsoffice.mit.edu/2012/pecase-winners-announced-0723|PECASE Award]]
  * [[http://science.mit.edu/news/five-mit-receive-doe-early-career-research-grants|DOE Early Career Award]]

==== Quotations and Perspectives ====

  * [[https://thetech.com/2020/03/25/faculty-discuss-flexible-pnr|The Tech on Flexible P/NR]]
  * [[https://phys.org/news/2019-11-plot-thickens-hypothetical-x17-particle.html|CERN on Fifth Forces]]
  * [[http://symmetrymagazine.org/article/with-open-data-scientists-share-their-work|Symmetry Magazine on Open Data]]
  * [[https://cms.cern/news/cms-releases-open-data-machine-learning|CMS Open Data ML Release]]
  * [[https://news.fnal.gov/2018/11/scientists-meet-at-fermilab-to-discuss-machine-learning-for-jet-physics/|Fermilab on Ml4Jets]]
  * [[http://www.pnas.org/content/114/44/11557.full.pdf|PNAS on Dark Matter]]
  * [[https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/in-the-dark-about-dark-matter/|Scientific American on Dark Matter]]
  * [[https://www.nature.com/news/has-a-hungarian-physics-lab-found-a-fifth-force-of-nature-1.19957|Nature on Fifth Forces]]
  * [[http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-04-02/after-higgs-boson-what-physicists-are-looking-for-now|Bloomberg on After Higgs]]
  * [[http://www.wired.com/2015/01/higgs-discovery-hijack-attempt/|Wired Magazine on Higgs]]
  * [[http://www.seacoastonline.com/article/20140514/NEWS/405140373|Seacoast Online on Particle Fever]]
  * [[http://www.symmetrymagazine.org/article/november-2013/connecting-the-visible-universe-with-dark-matter|Symmetry Magazine on Dark Matter]]
  * [[http://www.mhsmustangnews.com/2012/10/29/academic-news-mits-jesse-thaler-visits-mhs/|2012 Medford High School Visit]]

==== Students in the News ====

  * [[http://news.mit.edu/2018/Radha-Mastandrea-student-1018|Radha Mastandrea]]  ([[http://news.mit.edu/2018/paying-it-forward-fellowship-boosts-women-physics-0802|Heising-Simons Fellowship]])
  * [[http://news.mit.edu/2017/student-profile-kevin-zhou-0421|Kevin Zhou]]  ([[http://news.mit.edu/2016/four-mit-students-marshall-scholars-1128|Marshall Scholarship]])