Juan Jose Juan Castella

PhD thesis: TBC

The LHCb experiment studies B-mesons, which are those containing bottom quarks. The study of B-mesons and their decays has made key contributions in the area of charge-parity (CP) violation and in providing constraints for beyond the standard model (BSM) theories. My research will analyse LHCb data to study rare decays of B-mesons. The project will aim use these measurements to indirectly search for BSM physics. To put it simply, I will be looking for measurements that do not match standard model predictions, which could indicate new physics being at play. The rates of rare B-meson decays can be significantly affected by the existence of BSM particles which means that they show great potential for this purpose.

Who or what inspired you to pursue your research interests?

I am fascinated by the standard model and how it has provided answers to many questions we had about the universe. But what I find even more fascinating are the underlying mysteries left unsolved by it. In my opinion, it is clear that there is physics beyond the standard model still to be discovered and I would like to contribute my research efforts to this cause.