CERN Accelerating science

At the Large Hadron Collider, high-energy scattering in Quantum Chromodynamics (QCD) often results in the production of hundreds of particles. Traditionally, the analysis of such high multiplicity events has depended on methods like jet or event shape techniques. Recently, energy correlators, initially introduced over 40 years ago, have re-emerged as a powerful tool for studying high multiplicity scattering. This revival has sparked productive interactions across particle and nuclear experiments, QCD theory and phenomenology, and formal quantum field theory.

In particular, energy correlators have underscored the critical role of symmetry in the study of high-energy scattering. Using energy correlators in electron-positron collisions as a case study, I will demonstrate how modern tools, including effective field theory, scattering amplitudes, and conformal field theory, have revitalized this classic observable. Furthermore, I will elucidate how symmetry aids in understanding and resolving challenges in QCD scattering.