Abstract:
The muon, the heavier cousin of the electron, is an extremely well studied particle of the Standard Model of particle physics (SM). Using precision measurements of the muon, and in particular of its decay, it is possible to constrain different scenarios of physics beyond the SM. In this project we will make use of the SM Effective Field Theory (SMEFT), a quantum field theory especially well suited to precision calculations of the behavior of the SM particles in the presence of as-yet unknown heavy new particles. We will calculate the decay of the muon in the SMEFT and relate it to precisely measured experimental properties of the muon. This project will support and inform other studies of the SMEFT which help us understand the structure of physics beyond the SM.