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The Physics Colloquium: Tova Holmes "Muon Colliders: the Next Generation of Particle Accelerators"

Speaker: Tova Holmes (University of Tennessee)
Date: 2/4/2026
Time: 4 p.m. - 5 p.m.
Location: Loomis Lab 141
Event Contact: Dani Swigart
217-244-8676
dswigart@illinois.edu
Sponsor: Department of Physics
Event Type: Seminar/Symposium
 

Over the last century, the construction and discovery of the Standard Model of particle physics has been one of the greatest accomplishments in physics. To explore this new frontier, we built larger and larger colliders utilizing the two charged particles that are easiest to produce and manipulate, the proton and the electron. As we contemplate the future of high energy colliders, the use of these particles fundamentally limits our potential energy reach: the low electron mass due to synchrotron radiation and the proton due to its composite nature. Luckily, the Standard Model provides an alternative: the muon. In this talk, I’ll discuss the challenges and possibilities of a muon collider, and give an overview of recent progress towards making one a reality.