TACC Ranger Testing Technicolor Physics

In the world of particle physics, the search for the elusive Higgs Boson particle is taking on a colorful twist. Using the TACC Ranger supercomputer, researchers at the University of Colorado and Tel Aviv University are exploring what might lie beyond the standard model of particle physics. The research looks to answer an intriguing question: What if Higgs Boson is not a fundamental particle at all, but rather a bound state of new particles that themselves have not yet been seen?

Many physicists are looking for more elegant explanations for the Higgs mechanism. The alternative idea that it could be caused by the strong interactions of still-to-be-discovered elementary particles has been with us for some time, but until recently, it has been difficult to test this idea for lack of adequate computing resources,” said Carlton DeTar, a longtime collaborator not involved in the current research. “DeGrand and collaborators are among the foremost groups in the world using powerful numerical simulations to investigate this exciting alternative. The results could have profound implications for the search for the Higgs particle at the Large Hadron Collider in Europe.”