XV NExT PhD Workshop: Future Horizons in Particle Physics and Cosmology

14 Jul 2025, 09:00 → 17 Jul 2025, 17:00 Europe/London

Cosener's House

Nikolas Kauer (Royal Holloway, University of London), Stephen West (Royal Holloway, University of London)

The 15th NExT PhD workshop will be held at the Cosener's House, Abingdon, 14-17 July 2025. 

The NExT PhD workshop is the Summer School of the NExT Institute, targeting PhD students working in theory, experiment and phenomenology within particle physics, astrophysics and cosmology. Other than to PhD students from the NExT Institute nodes, it is also open to those from all other UK institutions.

The programme includes five lecture series on current topics in high energy physics, with an emphasis on cutting edge developments, networking and panel events discussing careers inside and outside of academia, and dedicated sessions for student talks and poster presentations.

Please fill in the student survey after the workshop here.

Lectures:

Phenomenology of String/M-Theories

Bobby Acharya, International Centre for Theoretical Physics, Trieste, Italy/King’s College London

Beyond WIMPs – Exploring Novel Dark Matter Candidates

Juri Smirnov, University of Liverpool (UKRI Future Leaders Fellow)

Probing Fundamental Physics with Quantum Sensors

Richard Howl, Royal Holloway University of London

Neutrino Experiments – Past, Present and Future

Nicola McConkey, Queen Mary University of London (STFC Ernest Rutherford Fellow)

Precision Monte Carlo for the Large Hadron Collider

Jonas Lindert, University of Sussex (former STFC Ernest Rutherford Fellow)

PhD participation:

Accommodation, tuition and catering are free of charge for STFC and self-funded PhD students. We also have similar support for a limited number of other PhD students from the NExT Institute nodes. Depending on budget, travel may also be (partially) refunded, so please retain travel receipts.

The total number of PhD participants is limited to 38, with precedence being given to those in year 1, so please try to register promptly to ensure your participation. PhD students are encouraged to discuss their research in dedicated sessions via poster and talk presentations.

Student talks & poster session

Students are encouraged to submit abstracts for a short (15'+5') talk or to present a poster at the poster session on Tuesday evening. Small prizes will be awarded for the best student talk & poster.

If you would like to give a talk, you can submit an abstract via the call for abstracts page. Limited slots are available so these will also be moderated by the organisers.

If you would like to present a poster, please fill in the relevant section in the registration form.

We ask students to have their poster printed in advance and bring it to the workshop. The required format is A1 or A0, portrait

Career development events: 

SEPnet employer panel

This event is aimed at raising awareness of career opportunities outside academia for physics doctorates. Panel representatives, all with physics or PhD backgrounds, will spend a few minutes outlining their role, what their organisation does, what skills/knowledge they are looking for and why they might be interested in physicists. The panel session will be followed by a Q&A session and an opportunity for students to talk to employers in small groups.

Academic careers panel

A selection of academics at various career stages will participate in a Q&A session and round table discussion about the academic career path.

Topics: 

Physics beyond the Standard Model, Phenomenology of String/M-Theories, Dark matter, Neutrino Experiments, Quantum Technologies, and Precision Simulations for the Large Hadron Collider

 

Organisers: 

 

Nikolas Kauer (co-chair, Royal Holloway University of London, i.e. RHUL)

Stephen West (co-chair, RHUL)

Ulla Blumenschein (Director of NExT PhD school, Queen Mary University of London)

Neda Darvishi (RHUL)

Jacob Linacre (Rutherford Appleton Laboratory)

Richard Howl (RHUL)

Sponsored by STFC and SEPnet.

2025 Student Feedback template.docx

2025 Student Feedback template.pdf

Guidance for Summer School, Short Course and Online Resource Training Organisers 2025.pdf

Summer School Report template.docx

Summer School Report template.pdf

UKRI NEE Student Summer School Claim Form and Guidance.docx

UKRI NEE Student Summer School Claim Form and Guidance.pdf

Monday 14 July

10:30 → 11:10 Registration and welcome coffee

11:10 → 11:30 Overview

11:30 → 12:30 Precision Monte Carlo for the Large Hadron Collider: Lecture 1

Dr Jonas Lindert

12:30 → 14:00 Lunch

14:00 → 15:00 Precision Monte Carlo for the Large Hadron Collider: Lecture 2

Dr Jonas Lindert

15:00 → 16:00 Phenomenology of String/M-Theories: Lecture 1

Prof Bobby Acharya

16:00 → 16:30 Coffee break

16:30 → 18:30 Student Talks

16:30 Four-Fermions SMEFT Operators in the Drell-Yan Process

I explore the impact of dimension-6 operators within the Standard Model Effective Field Theory (SMEFT) framework on the Drell–Yan process. SMEFT provides a systematic and model-independent approach to searching for signs of physics beyond the Standard Model, based on the inclusion of higher dimensions operators. I focus on four-fermion interactions, examining their helicity amplitudes, their interference with Standard Model contributions, and the quadratic SMEFT terms. I show how the inclusion of these operators can modify well-measured collider observables, with particular emphasis on the single differential cross section.

Speaker: Martina Fusi (University of Southampton)

16:50 2l+MET signature from two-component dark matter at the LHC

The talk will cover an exploration on the dilepton plus missing transverse energy (MET) signature from LHC to search for two-component scalar Dark Matter (DM). The model discussed in this work is a 3-Higgs Doublet Model (3HDM) where two of the doublets are inert from the Standard Model (SM) and the other one is active and also the SM Higgs doublet, hence a I(2+1)HDM. Each inert sector will provide a scalar DM particle with a discrete symmetry of Z2xZ2 applying on the doublets, and therefore the model will provide two-component DM. The work studies the model parameter space on the masses of two DM particles and the mass differences between the DMs and the next-to-lightest neutral states in each dark sector. Despite the numerical analysis is performed within the I(2+1)HDM for illustrative purposes, this approach makes our essentially largely model-independent and thus suitable for interpretations in other two-component scalar DM scenarios giving rise to the dilepton plus MET signature.

Speaker: Shu Chen (University of Southampton)

17:10 Top-Quark Pair Production in 1 Higgs-Singlet Model

1 Higgs-Singlet Model (1HSM) is a minimal extension of the Standard Model with two physical scalar bosons. Top quark pair production in 1HSM is associated with large interference effects between loop-induced Higgs-mediated amplitudes and the QCD continuum background. I will talk about the research work on top quark pair production in 1HSM at NLO accuracy by Banfi et al. (arXiv: 2309.16759), and outline the main results. I will talk about the computation of the cross section of the top-quark pair production in the Higgs Effective Field Theory framework to make phenomenological predictions at the LHC.

Speaker: Vishakha Lingadahally

17:30 Decay time resolution measurement for the B0 to Dpi decays

The decay time resolution is crucial for the determination of CP asymmetries in the time-dependent B0→D±π∓ analysis. In this measurement the decay time resolution was investigated using a sample of reconstructed "fake" B0 candidates selected from the LHCb Run 2 data. A mass fit was performed to suppress the background, and the transverse momentum of the 
B0 meson was used to map the data to MC. The final result of the decay time resolution obtained from a second order calibration of the decay time error is ⟨σ⟩=0.04743±0.00030, which is consistent with the MC . And this result will be incorporated in the final decay time fit to unfold the detector effect, thereby improve the sensitivity to 
CP variables.

Speaker: Jinyi Sun (The University of Manchester (GB))

17:50 The NOvA Test Beam Program Content

The NOvA (NuMI Off-Axis electron neutrino Appearance) Experiment is a long-baseline neutrino oscillation experiment composed of two functionally identical detectors, a 300 ton Near Detector, and a 14 kton Far Detector separated by 810 km and placed 14 mrad off the axis of the NuMI neutrino beam created at Fermilab. This configuration enables NOvA’s rich neutrino physics program, which includes measuring neutrino mixing parameters, determining the neutrino mass hierarchy, and probing CP violation in the leptonic sector. The NOvA Test Beam experiment deployed at Fermilab between 2018 and 2022 used a scaled-down 30 ton detector to analyse tagged beamline particles. The beamline selected and identified electrons, muons, pions, kaons, and protons with momenta ranging from 0.4 to 1.8 GeV/c, as understanding how the detector responds to these particles found in the final state of neutrino interactions is crucial. This talk describes the components of the beamline and their purpose, showing the highlights and challenges of the NOvA Test Beam program that aims to produce results for particle response in NOvA detectors.

Speaker: Emerson Bannister (University of Sussex)

18:30 → 20:30 Dinner

Tuesday 15 July

09:00 → 10:00 Phenomenology of String/M-Theories: Lecture 2

Prof Bobby Acharya

10:00 → 11:00 Neutrino Experiments – Past, Present and Future: Lecture 1

Dr Nicola McConkey

11:00 → 11:30 Coffee break

11:30 → 12:30 Precision Monte Carlo for the Large Hadron Collider: Lecture 3

Dr Jonas Lindert

12:30 → 14:00 Lunch

14:00 → 15:00 Beyond WIMPs – Exploring Novel Dark Matter Candidates: Lecture 1

Dr Juri Smirnov

15:00 → 16:00 Probing Fundamental Physics with Quantum Sensors: Lecture 1

Dr Richard Howl

16:00 → 16:30 Coffee break

16:30 → 17:30 Academic careers panel session

17:30 → 20:00 Poster session and dinner

Wednesday 16 July

09:00 → 10:00 Phenomenology of String/M-Theories: Lecture 3

Prof Bobby Acharya

10:00 → 11:00 Neutrino Experiments – Past, Present and Future: Lecture 2

Dr Nicola McConkey

11:00 → 11:30 Coffee break

11:30 → 12:30 Probing Fundamental Physics with Quantum Sensors: Lecture 2

Dr Richard Howl

12:30 → 14:00 Lunch

14:00 → 15:00 Neutrino Experiments – Past, Present and Future: Lecture 3

Dr Nicola McConkey

15:00 → 16:00 Beyond WIMPs – Exploring Novel Dark Matter Candidates: Lecture 2

Dr Juri Smirnov

16:00 → 16:30 Coffee break

16:30 → 17:30 SEPnet careers round table

17:30 → 18:30 Student Talks

17:30 SymTFTs for U(1) symmetries from descent

Recently, the notion of symmetry descent has been introduced in order to obtain the (d+1)-dimensional Symmetry TFT (SymTFT) of a d-dimensional QFT from the edge mode behaviour of a theory in (d+2)-dimensions. This method has so far been used to obtain SymTFTs for discrete higher-form symmetries of geometrically engineered QFTs. In this note, we extend the symmetry descent procedure to obtain SymTFTs for U(1) higher-form symmetries of geometrically engineered QFTs. We find the resulting SymTFTs match those in the works of Antinucci-Benini and Brennan-Su.

Speaker: Finn Gagliano (Durham University)

17:50 The Black Hole Isospectrality Problem

In 1983, Chandrasekhar calculated that the ringdown spectrum of a perturbed black hole (BH) is identical regardless of perturbation type (isospectrality). While this 'coincidence' was proven mathematically its physical origin remains mysterious. After the detection of Gravitational waves and BH ringdowns by LIGO (GW150914) this mystery is now directly relevant for BH observations.
In this presentation/ poster I revisit Chandrasekhar's calculation of isospectrality. I will discuss its relation to other areas of BH physics, and super symmetric quantum mechanics. I will also propose a method for making progress by treating spacetime in the fully extended Kruskal-Szekeres coordinates.

Speaker: Samuel Franklin (Institute of cosmology and gravitation (University of Portsmouth))

18:10 Nuclear Pasta and Neutron Star Dynamics

Neutron stars (NSs) comprise the most extreme matter in the universe, existing on the precipice between ordinary matter and black holes. Their immense density, gravity and magnetic fields offer a unique insight into the nature of matter under extreme conditions that cannot be replicated on Earth.
My PhD and presentation focus on the crust-core transition region of NSs, where neutron-rich nuclei exist in a sea of superfluid neutrons. In this dense region, attractive nuclear forces and Coulomb repulsion compete, preventing the system from minimising its total energy. Matter becomes frustrated, and a complex arrangement emerges featuring many local minima. This results in the formation of mesoscopic structures known as ‘nuclear pasta’, taking various forms ranging from spaghetti-like strands to lasagne-like sheets, depending on the most energy-efficient configuration at a given density. The material and transport properties of these pasta structures remain poorly understood, yet they play a crucial role in crust-core interactions. These interactions influence several NS observables, such as gravitational wave (GW) i-modes and resonant shattering flares from tidal resonances, expected to be detected by next-generation GW detectors and telescopes. Understanding nuclear pasta is thus key to advancing our knowledge
of NSs and dense matter physics.
My research employs a computational technique known as the the Lattice-Bolztmann Method (LBM) to model nuclear pasta. Derived from the Boltzmann equation, the LBM captures the mesoscopic behaviour of fluids, bridging microscopic particle interactions and macroscopic fluid dynamics. While the LBM has been widely used in complex terrestrial fluid simulations, its astrophysical application remains unexplored. Although there are many conceptual similarities between terrestrial applications of the LBM and nuclear pasta, the challenge lies in adapting the method to incorporate the extreme conditions inside NSs. Successful implementation of the LBM to model nuclear pasta will enable predictions of NS observables, improving our interpretation of future GW detections.

Speaker: Lowri Mathias

18:30 → 20:30 Dinner

Thursday 17 July

09:00 → 10:00 Beyond WIMPs – Exploring Novel Dark Matter Candidates: Lecture 3

Dr Juri Smirnov

10:00 → 11:00 Probing Fundamental Physics with Quantum Sensors: Lecture 3

Dr Richard Howl

11:00 → 11:30 Coffee break

11:30 → 12:30 Student Talks

11:30 Impact of external vibrations on long baseline atom interferometers

Long baseline atom interferometers, such as the AION-10 device currently being planned in Oxford, show promise as methods of detecting both unltralight dark matter, gravitational waves and other potential astrophysical signals. However, the readings from these instruments are very noisy due to the impact of gravity gradient noise from the external environment. This work aims to characterise this noise.

Speaker: George Parish (King's College London)

11:50 Dark Matter in X-rays: Revised XMM-Newton Limits and New Constraints from eROSITA

Dark Matter in X-rays: Revised XMM-Newton Limits and New Constraints from eROSITA
We investigate two classes of dark matter (DM) candidates, sub-GeV particles and primordial black holes (PBHs), that can inject low-energy electrons and positrons into the Milky Way and leave observable signatures in the X-ray sky. In the case of sub-GeV DM, annihilation or decay into e+e-
 contributes to the diffuse sea of cosmic-ray (CR) leptons, which can generate bremsstrahlung and inverse Compton (IC) emission on Galactic photon fields, producing a broad spectrum from X-rays to γ-rays detectable by instruments such as eROSITA and XMM-Newton.

Speaker: Damon Cleaver (King's College London)

12:10 Radiatively generated symmetron mechanism in curved spacetime

Content Scalar-tensor theories of gravity are a class of modified gravity models that extend general relativity by introducing a scalar field coupling to curvature terms in the action. These theories aim to address fundamental problems in cosmology, such as explaining the nature of dark matter and the origin of the Universe’s accelerated expansion. The models have been thoroughly tested, and a significant portion of their parameter space has been excluded by observations. In order to avoid these constraints, a screening mechanism can be introduced to the theory that hides the fifth force from detection. In this talk, I will present ongoing work on the extension of the radiatively generated symmetron-like screening mechanism [1] to the curved spacetime. I will discuss the importance of the corrections due to the spacetime’s curvature and their consequences for mapping back the observational constraints to the model’s parameter space

Speaker: Lukasz Bunio (University of Manchester)

12:30 → 14:00 Lunch

14:00 → 15:00 Final remarks and summary