Sindhu Murthy Annual Review 2024

Sindhu is working on a search for a new physics A -> XY -> 4b decays where A is new particle and X and Y are either Higgs or Z bosons. She has adapted background modeling tools from an existing ZZ(ZH) ->4b analysis and modified it to look for resonance production. This involved defining separate signal regions in the data for the various intermediate states and estimating the background uncertainties in the four-jet mass space. She is also investigating the source of a double-peak present in the four-jet mass distribution by either trying to find the conditions that eliminate it or finding correlations of the two peaks with other variables.

On the HGCal upgrade side Sindhu set up a database ecosystem for silicon module assembly. The database will be used to track and archive information about the tens of thousands of parts used in assembly. She has created tools using Python, LabVIEW, and OGP Software that allow parts tracking at different stages of assembly, i.e. inspection, assembly, wirebonding. She also devised a framework to import/export this data during production from/to CERN. These tool will be implemented at all six silicon module assembly centers.

The committee was very impressed with the progress Sindhu has made, particularly with the HGC upgrade project. She has defined and executed projects to completion on her on initiative. This has required creativity and perspective. In this domain she is already operating at the level of a postdoc. However more work is needed on defining the physics analysis for her thesis and understanding how it fits into the bigger picture.

The committee recommends that Sindhu shift emphasis away from the HGC upgrade project to the 4b analysis for her dissertation. She should work with her advisor to define a baseline plan for graduation: target date and analysis scope. This should naturally lead her to become familiar with the details of the analysis and the broader context.

Sindhu Murthy

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