Instituto de Física Teórica

Seminar: 'Differential observables for the Higgs-strahlung process to all orders in EFT'
2026-06-25 15:00 - 16:00 (Europe/Madrid) | IFT Seminar Room/Red Room, Instituto de Física Teórica (IFT) -C. Nicolás Cabrera, 13-15, Fuencarral-El Pardo, Madrid, 28049,, Spain
Title: ‘Differential observables for the Higgs-strahlung process to all orders in EFT.’
Speaker: Sourav Bera from Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR)
Venue&Time: Red Room / 15:00
Abstract: We develop methods to obtain the fully differential cross-section for the f f to Z(ll) h process to any desired order in effective field theory (EFT). To achieve this, we first derive a mapping between the partial wave expansion and the EFT expansion to all orders. We find that at lower orders, EFT predicts correlations between the different partial wave coefficients. This allows us to construct linear combinations of partial wave coefficients that get their leading contributions from a higher dimension EFT operator. We then introduce experimental observables, the so called angular moments — that probe these linear combinations of partial wave coefficients — and can be determined from a fully differential analysis of the angular distribution of the leptons arising from the Z – decay. We show that analysing the dependence of these angular moments on the Zh invariant mass allows us to systematically probe all higher dimension EFT operators contributing to this process. In particular, we discuss how our results can be used to probe dimension-8 operators in the Standard Model EFT (SMEFT). While we take the Higgs-strahlung process as an example, the methods developed here are completely general and can also be applied to other 2-to-2 collider processes.

Seminar: 'NLO Running in the SMEFT'
2026-07-02 15:00 - 16:00 | IFT Seminar Room/Red Room, Instituto de Física Teórica (IFT) -C. Nicolás Cabrera, 13-15, Fuencarral-El Pardo, Madrid, 28049,, Spain
Title: ‘NLO Running in the SMEFT’
Speaker: Lukas Born (University of Bern).
Venue&Time: Red Room / 15:00
Abstract: The Standard Model Effective Field Theory (SMEFT) provides a systematic framework for parameterizing heavy new physics in a model-independent way. A central ingredient for precision analyses within this framework is the renormalization group equations (RGEs), governing the running of the Wilson coefficients across energy scales. Our recent computation of the two-loop β-functions in the SMEFT marks a milestone in this program, opening the door to genuine next-to-leading order (NLO) analyses.
In this talk, I will first discuss the key technical challenges we encountered in our calculation, how we addressed them by modifying the Warsaw basis, and the consistency checks on our results. Second, I will turn to a concrete phenomenological application, demonstrating that NLO running effects play an important role in Electroweak Precision Observables (EWPO).

Seminar: 'Sub-GeV Dark Matter, Neutrino Masses, and Astrophysical Signals from a Rich Dark Sector'
2026-07-07 15:00 - 17:00
Title: ‘Sub-GeV Dark Matter, Neutrino Masses, and Astrophysical Signals from a Rich Dark Sector.’
Speaker: Elina Merkel (University of Bologna)
Venue&Time: Red Room / 15:00
Abstract: Rich dark sectors provide an attractive framework for addressing several puzzles in particle physics and cosmology within a single model. In this talk, I will present a simple sub-GeV dark-sector realization featuring a dark matter candidate, a light scalar mediator, and an extended neutrino sector. I will show how the model can reproduce the observed relic abundance, generate light neutrino masses, and satisfy cosmological constraints. I will then discuss its phenomenological implications, focusing on neutrino signals that could be probed by current and future neutrino telescopes.

Seminar: ‘The Hunt for Multiple Axions’
2026-07-09 15:00 - 16:00 | IFT Seminar Room/Red Room, Instituto de Física Teórica (IFT) -C. Nicolás Cabrera, 13-15, Fuencarral-El Pardo, Madrid, 28049,, Spain
Title: ‘The Hunt for Multiple Axions’
Speaker: Arturo de Giorgi (University of Durham).
Venue&Time: Red Room / 15:00
Abstract: Axions and axion-like particles may arise in Nature as a spectrum rather than as a single field. Such a scenario naturally emerges in string-inspired constructions, as well as in reasonably simple bottom-up extensions of single axion models. In such multi-axion scenarios, new signal features arise, and recasting of existing experimental bounds from single-axion constraints becomes generally non-trivial. This motivates a closer look at how laboratory axion searches are impacted when multiple states contribute. In this talk, I will first briefly introduce bulk axions in extra dimensions as a concrete framework that naturally generates multiple modes, and highlight some of the phenomenological subtleties that follow. I will then present general results for multi-axions–photon oscillations, showing how coherence and interference can either enhance or suppress signals, with direct implications for light-shining-through-a-wall experiments and beyond.

Pro(v/b)ing the Swampland
2026-09-01 - 2026-09-03 | IFT Auditorium, Instituto de Física Teórica (IFT) - C. Nicolás Cabrera, 13-15, Fuencarral-El Pardo, Madrid, Madrid, 28049,, Spain
The workshop Pro(v/b)ing the Swampland will take place from September 1 to 3, 2026, at the Instituto de Física Teórica IFT UAM-CSIC in Madrid, Spain.
The aim of the workshop is to bring together leading experts in string compactifications, the Swampland programme, quantum field theory, conformal field theory, scattering amplitudes and other techniques that can be used to probe the imprint of quantum gravity at low energies.
The meeting will explore which Swampland conjectures and quantum-gravity constraints may be amenable to general proofs in frameworks such as holography or the bootstrap, and will discuss possible future directions for Swampland research.
The workshop will be held exclusively in person. Participants interested in attending must register through the official website.
Organizers:

Markus Dierigl
Irene Valenzuela
Luis Ibáñez
Matteo Lotito
Fernando Marchesano
Miguel Montero
Ángel Uranga

Administrative support: Rosa Sánchez Puga
Confirmed speakers:

Julio Parra Martínez
Sanjay Raman
Amineh Mohseni
José Calderón Infante
Brando Bellazzini
Ivano Basile
Matilda Delgado
Ben Heidenreich
Lucía Gómez Córdova
Ignacio Ruiz García
Thomas Van Riet
Elli Pomoni
Jonathan Heckman
Gabriele Di Ubaldo
Houri Christina Tarazi
Grant Remmen
Luca Martucci

More information and registration:Pro(v/b)ing the Swampland official website

Coloquio IFT: Horacio Casini (Instituto Balseiro)
2026-09-09 11:30 - 12:30 | Blue Room, Instituto de Física Teórica (IFT) - C. Nicolás Cabrera, 13-15, Fuencarral-El Pardo, Madrid, 28049,, Spain
TBA

Seminar by Damir Becirevic
2026-09-14 15:00 - 16:00 | IFT Seminar Room/Red Room, Instituto de Física Teórica (IFT) -C. Nicolás Cabrera, 13-15, Fuencarral-El Pardo, Madrid, 28049,, Spain

Seminar Georg Weiglein (DESY)
2026-09-21 15:00 - 17:00 | IFT Seminar Room/Red Room, Instituto de Física Teórica (IFT) -C. Nicolás Cabrera, 13-15, Fuencarral-El Pardo, Madrid, 28049,, Spain

IFT Colloquium by Mark Srednicki (UC Santa Barbara)
2026-10-15 15:00 - 16:00

Outreach Event Arts & Science
2026-10-15 15:00 - 17:00 | IFT Auditorium, Instituto de Física Teórica (IFT) - C. Nicolás Cabrera, 13-15, Fuencarral-El Pardo, Madrid, Madrid, 28049,, Spain

Seminar by Mark Srednicki
2026-10-19 15:00 - 16:00 | IFT Seminar Room/Red Room, Instituto de Física Teórica (IFT) -C. Nicolás Cabrera, 13-15, Fuencarral-El Pardo, Madrid, 28049,, Spain

Eduardo Peinado (Mexico U.)
2026-10-26 15:00 - 17:30 | IFT Seminar Room/Red Room, Instituto de Física Teórica (IFT) -C. Nicolás Cabrera, 13-15, Fuencarral-El Pardo, Madrid, 28049,, Spain

Seminar Claudia Frugiuele (INFN, Milan). TBA
2026-11-05 08:00 - 17:00 | IFT Seminar Room/Red Room, Instituto de Física Teórica (IFT) -C. Nicolás Cabrera, 13-15, Fuencarral-El Pardo, Madrid, 28049,, Spain
