LPC Distinguished Researcher

Name:

Josh Bendavid

Institution:

California Institute of Technology

What I will be working on:

I will be working on the continuing measurement of the Higgs properties with increasing precision, including fiducial and differential cross section measurements, as well as more general searches for anomalous Higgs production kinematics. These can serve both as more comprehensive test they of theoretical predictions for Higgs production in the Standard Model, as well as searches for new physics. I am also working on reconstruction and physics performance studies incorporating precision timing capabilities into the phase 2 upgrade in order to improve the suppression of pileup at HL-LHC. In addition, I am working on further development of machine learning techniques for physics analysis and reconstruction, as well as improving the efficiency of Monte Carlo generators.

My role in CMS past and present:

I have been part of CMS since beginning my PhD in 2007. Since then I have been involved in computing operations, serving as Tier-0 operations coordinator from 2008-2010. I have also been heavily involved in electron and photon reconstruction, including tracking-driven photon-conversion reconstruction, and the development of the new "multifit" Ecal local reconstruction algorithm for 25ns pileup conditions in Run 2. I was also an E-Gamma Reconstruction Subgroup Convener in 2013 during the transition to fully GED-based electron and photon reconstruction for Run 2. I have contributed to early electroweak measurements including the first lepton charge asymmetry measurements at CMS, and was deeply involved in the Higgs search, discovery, and measurements in the diphoton final state. I was also closely involved in the B_s->mu mu search and observation in CMS, serving as well as a CMS contact for the combination with LHCb. More recently I have been involved with SUSY and Exotica searches, coordinating a small team to conduct the cross-check analysis for the high mass diphoton search in 2016. I have also been closely involved with Monte Carlo generators, serving as generator convener for 2014-2015.