Patrícia Magalhães

Physics

Recently, scientists have observed unexpected differences between particles and antiparticles that challenge the Standard Model. Could these findings point to new, undiscovered physics? Magalhães is focused on refining theoretical models to discern whether such anomalies reflect “new physics” or simply reveal gaps in our current understanding.

Magalhães earned her bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees in physics from the University of São Paulo. She completed her postdoctoral work at the Brazilian Center for Physics Research and has lived in several cities, including Munich, Bristol, Madrid, Ubatuba, and now Campinas, along her scientific journey. Originally from São Paulo, Magalhães misses the ocean and finds her best ideas while cycling, swimming, or dancing to samba-reggae rhythms.

Currently a researcher at the University of Campinas and a member of the Large Hadron Collider (LHCb) collaboration. 

Open Calls

Science Call 8

Projects

Given the recent observation of matter–antimatter asymmetry in the LHCb experiment, how can signals of new physics due to strong interactions be distinguished from Standard Model predictions?
Science / Physics

Each particle has a corresponding antiparticle, essentially its mirror twin with opposite properties. According to current cosmological theories, the Big Bang should have produced equal quantities of particles and antiparticles—yet our universe is composed almost entirely of matter. This imbalance is a fundamental mystery in physics. Thanks to modern particle accelerators, we can now create and study particles and antiparticles in the laboratory. The LHCb experiment at CERN’s Large Hadron Collider was designed to study these asymmetries. In theory, converting a particle into its antiparticle requires a combined charge and parity (CP) transformation. However, the violation of this transformation predicted by an interference mechanism is insufficient to explain all the asymmetries observed in the LHCb experiment. This discrepancy raises the possibility that new fundamental physics is at play or that hadronic (strong-interaction) effects, which are not fully described by current theories, are in play. As part of the LHCb collaboration, I will investigate processes showing discrepancies, enhance analysis methods to systematically account for hadronic effects, and distinguish between signatures of possible new physics and those originating from known strong interactions within the Standard Model.

Amount invested

Grant Serrapilheira: R$ 350.000,00 (R$ 250.000,00 + R$ 100.000,00 optional bonuses aimed at the integration and training of individuals from underrepresented groups in science.)

Institutions

  • Universidade Estadual de Campinas