Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model (MSSM)

(Click on image to read)
Today in our theory meeting we again brought up the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model (MSSM). Being as it is one of the three main areas I want to vigorously study in graduate school I thought I would write a post in tribute to it.

The MSSM is the minimal extension of the standard model which allows for supersymmetry. If it turns out to be correct it may solve three major problems:

• The Hierarchy Problem: The Higgs Boson is so much lighter than the Plank mass. For details for this problem see the Wikipedia.
• Helps work out the Grand Unification Details.
  
• It may solve the Dark Matter Problem: the lightest supersymmetric particles should be stable and have the properties of dark matter! :)

What's great about MSSM is not only will it probably solve a lot of problems, but it should be apparent at energy levels achieved at CERN. (I am going to love graduate school). This is both very theoretical and very testable. If the don't find it at CERN it will be back to the drawing board. (For all our string theorists out there, it could be bad news for string theory if supersymmetry is not found.)

In graduate school I want to apply MSSM physics to accelerator physics, dark matter and early universe physics.

Speaking about string theory, if the MSSM model holds then there would be more motivation for studying string theory. I would like to investigate any string phenomenology at the MSSM or MSSM+1 energy ranges if such phenomenology exists.