Aida X El-Khadra
Primary Research Area
- High Energy Physics
Biography
Professor Aida El-Khadra received her PhD. in 1989 from the University of California, Los Angeles, after receiving her diplom from Freie Universitaet, Berlin, Germany. She held postdoctoral research appointments at Brookhaven National Laboratory, Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, and the Ohio State Univerity before joining the Illinois faculty in 1995. El-Khadra is a fellow of the American Physical Society, a recipient of the Department of Energy's Outstanding Junior Investigator Award, and a Sloan foundation fellow. In addition to a number of other research and teaching awards she has also been named a Fermilab Distinguished Scholar. Service highlights include membership on the APS Division of Particles and Fields (DPF) executive committee (an elected position), APS fellowship committees, chair of the USQCD Scientific Program Committee and member of the USQCD Executive Committee, co-chair of the Muon g-2 Theory Initiative, as well as organizing and advisory committees for international workshops and conferences.
Prof. El-Khadra's area of research is theoretical particle physics. Her research focuses on the application of lattice Quantum Chromodynamics (also called the strong interactions) to phenomenologically interesting processes in flavor physics, which are relevant to the experimental effort at the so-called intensity frontier. She is a leader of one of the most successful collaborations working in Lattice Field Theory in the world, the Fermilab Lattice collaboration. Select highlights include the first quantitative determination of the the strong coupling from lattice QCD, a new formulation of heavy quarks on the lattice that is the foundation of many important, phenomenologically relevant lattice calculations, for example, predictions of the D and Ds meson decay constants, predictions of the shape of the semileptonic D-meson form factors, and lattice calculations of semileptonic B-meson form factors that yield the most precise determinations of the associated CKM matrix elements, Vcb and Vub to date. Other recent highlights are the most precise calculations of (a) the semileptonic Kaon form factor which improves upon our knowledge of the CKM matrix element Vus, (b) the complete set of semileptonic form factors for B-meson decays to pions, and kaons, yielding new interesting constraints on models of new physics, (c) the complete set of the neutral B and Bs meson mixing matrix elements, yielding the best-to-date constraints on Vtd, Vts, and their ratio, and (d) the first precise calculation of the strong isospin breaking corrections to the hadronic vacuum polarization contribution to the muon 's anomalous magnetic moment.
Academic Positions
- Professor, UIUC, August 2008-present
- Associate Professor, UIUC, May 2001-August 2008
- Assistant Professor, UIUC, August 1995-May 2001
Chapters in Books
- A.X. El-Khadra. QCD on the lattice: The central role of effective field theory. in Journeys through the precision frontier: amplitudes for colliders (L. Dixon and F. Petriello, editors). Proceedings of the 2014 Theoretical Advanced Study Institute in Elementary Particle Physics (Boulder, CO, 2-27 June 2014) World Scientific Publishing Co (2016). ISBN: 978-981-4678-75-9.
- A. X. El-Khadra and M. Luke. The mass of the b quark [Review]. Ann. Rev. Nucl. & Particle Sci. 52, 201-250 (2002)
Selected Articles in Journals
- G. Colangelo, A.X. El-Khadra, M. Hoferichter, A. Keshavarzi, C. Lehner, P. Stoffer, T. Teubner. Data-driven evaluations of Euclidean windows to scrutinize hadronic vacuum polarization. Phys. Lett. B 833, 137313 (2022).
- R.L. Workman et al. (Particle Data Group). Review of Particle Physics. Prog. Theor. Exp. Phys. 2022, 083C01 (2022).
- J. Shen, D. Luo, C. Huang, B.K. Clark, A.X. El-Khadra, B. Gadway, P. Draper. Simulating Quantum Mechanics with a θ-term and an 't Hooft Anomaly on a Synthetic Dimension. Phys.Rev.D 105, 074505 (2022).
- T. Aoyama, A. X. El-Khadra, et al. The anomalous magnetic moment of the muon in the Standard Model. Phys. Reports.-review section of Phys. Lett. 887, 1-166 (2020).
- P. Gambino, A. S. Kronfeld, M. Rotondo, C. Schwanda, F. Bernlochner, A. Bharucha, C. Bozzi, M. Calvi, L. Cao, G. Ciezarek, C. T. H. Davies, A. X. El-Khadra, S. Hashimoto, M. Jung, A. Khodjamirian, Z. Ligeti. Challenges in semileptonic B decays. European Physical Journal C 80:10, 966 (2020).
- D. Luo, J. Y. Shen, M. Highman, B. K. Clark, B. DeMarco, A. X. El-Khadra, B. Gadway. Framework for simulating gauge theories with dipolar spin systems. Phys. Rev. A 102:3, 32617 (2020)
- C. T. H. Davies et al. [Fermilab Lattice, LATTICE-HPQCD and MILC Collaborations]. Hadronic-vacuum-polarization contribution to the muon's anomalous magnetic moment from four-flavor lattice QCD, Phys. Rev. D101, 034512 (2020).
- C. Lehner et al. [USQCD Collaboration]. Opportunities for Lattice QCD in Quark and Lepton Flavor Physics, Eur. Phys. J. A55:11, 195 (2019).
- A. Bazavov et al. [Fermilab Lattice and MILC Collaborations]. Bs→Klν decay from lattice QCD. Phys. Rev. D 100, 034501 (2019).
- A. Bazavov, et al. [Fermilab Lattice and MILC Collaborations] |Vus| from Kl3 decay and four-flavor lattice QCD. Phys. Rev. D 99, 114509 (2019).
- A. Bazavov, et al.). [Fermilab Lattice and MILC and TUMQCD Collaborations]. Up-, down-, strange-, charm-, and bottom-quark masses from four-flavor lattice QCD . Phys.Rev. D98, 054517 (2018).
- A. Bazavov, et al. B- and D-meson leptonic decay constants from four-flavor lattice QCD et al.. Dec 26, 2017. Phys.Rev. D 98, 074512 (2018).
- B. Chakraborty, et al. [Fermilab Lattice, MILC, and HPQCD Collaborations]. Strong-isospin-breaking correction to the muon anomalous magnetic moment from lattice QCD at the physical point. Phys .Rev. Lett. 120, 152001 (2018).
- A. Bazavov, et al. [Fermilab Lattice and MILC Collaborations]. Short-distance matrix elements for D0-meson mixing for Nf=2+1 lattice QCD. Phys. Rev. D97, 034513 (2018).
- A. Bazavov, et al. [Fermilab Lattice and MILC Collaborations]. B0(s)-mixing matrix elements from lattice QCD for the Standard Model and beyond. Phys. Rev. D 93, 113016 (2016).
- Daping Du, A.X. El-Khadra, Steven Gottlieb, A.S. Kronfeld, J. Laiho, E. Lunghi, R.S. Van de Water, Ran Zhou. Phenomenology of Semileptonic B-Meson Decays with Form Factors from Lattice QCD. Phys. Rev. D 93, 034005 (2016).
- J.A. Bailey et al. B -> Kl+l- decay form factors from three-flavor lattice QCD. Phys. Rev. D 93, 025026 (2016).
- J.A. Bailey, et al. B →πll Form Factors for New-Physics Searches from Lattice QCD. Phys. Rev. Lett. 115, 152002 (2015).
- J.A. Bailey et al. |Vub| from B -> pi decays and (2+1)-flavor lattice QCD. Phys. Rev. D 92, 014024 (2015).
- J. Bailey et al. The B → Dlv form factors at nonzero recoil and |Vcb| from 2+1-flavor lattice QCD. Phys.Rev. D92, 034506 (2015).
- A. Bazavov et al. Charmed and light pseudoscalar meson decay constants from four-flavor lattice QCD with physical light quarks. Phys. Rev. D 90, 074509 (2014).
- J. Bailey, et al. Update of |Vcb| from the B → D*lnu-bar form factor at zero recoil with three-flavor lattice QCD. Phys. Rev. D 89, 114504 (2014).
- A. Bazavov, et al. Determination of |Vus| from a lattice-QCD calculation of the K -> pi l nu semileptonic form factor with physical quark masses. Phys. Rev. Lett. 112, 112001 (2014).
- S. Aoki, et al. Review of lattice results concerning low energy particle physics. Eur. Phys. J. C74, 2890 (2014).
- A. Bazavov, et al. Neutral B-meson mixing from three-flavor lattice QCD: Determination of the SU(3)-breaking ratio xi. Phys. Rev. D 86, 034503 (2012).
- C. Bernard, et al. The Anti-B→D* ℓ anti-ν form factor at zero recoil from three-flavor lattice QCD: A Model independent determination of |Vcb|. Phys. Rev. D 79, 014506 (2009).
- C. Aubin, et al. Semileptonic decays of D mesons in three-flavor lattice QCD. Phys. Rev. Lett. 94, 011601-1-5 (2005).
- C. T. H. Davies, et al. High-precision lattice QCD confronts experiment. Phys. Rev. Lett. 92, 022001-1-5 (2004).
- A. X. El-Khadra, A. Kronfeld, and P. Mackenzie. Massive quarks in lattice QCD. Phys. Rev. D 3933-3957 (1997).
Articles in Conference Proceedings
- Z. Davoudi, E. T. Neil, et al. "Report of the Snowmass 2021 Topical Group on Lattice Gauge Theory," [arXiv:2209.10758 [hep-lat]].
- A. Kronfeld et al. Lattice QCD and Particle Physics. Snowmass 2022 White Paper. arXiv:2207.07641. Contribution to 2022 Snowmass Summer Study.
- P. Boyle et al. A lattice QCD perspective on weak decays of $b$ and $c$ quarks. Snowmass 2022 White Paper. arXiv: 2205.15373 [hep-lat]. Contribution to 2022 Snowmass Summer Study.
- C. W. Bauer, Z. Davoudi, et al. Quantum Simulation for High Energy Physics. arXiv:2204.03381 [quant-ph]. Contribution to 2022 Snowmass Summer Study.
- G. Colangelo, M. Davier, A.X. El-Khadra, M. Hoferichter, C. Lehner et al. Prospects for precise predictions of $a_\mu$ in the Standard Model. arXiv:2203.15810 [hep-ph]. Contribution to 2022 Snowmass Summer Study.
Teaching Honors
- Collins Award for Innovative Teaching, College of Engineering, University of Illinois (2002)
Research Honors
- Simons Fellow in Theoretical Physics, Simons Foundation (2022)
- Fellow, American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) (2021)
- Associate, Center for Advanced Study, University of Illinois (2019)
- Distinguished Scholar, Fermilab (2016)
- Fellow, American Physical Society (2011)
- Associate, Center for Advanced Study, University of Illinois (2007)
- Frontier Fellow, Fermilab (2002)
- Beckman Fellow, Center for Advanced Study, University of Illinois (1998)
- Xerox Award for Faculty Research, College of Engineering, University of Illinois (1998)
- Fellow, A. P. Sloan Foundation (1997)
- Outstanding Junior Investigator Award, Department of Energy (1996)
- Studienstiftung des Deutschen Volkes (1988)
Recent Courses Taught
- PHYS 123 - Physics Made Easy
- PHYS 211 - University Physics: Mechanics
- PHYS 213 - Univ Physics: Thermal Physics
- PHYS 214 - Univ Physics: Quantum Physics
- PHYS 470 - Subatomic Physics
Semesters Ranked Excellent Teacher by Students
Semester | Course | Outstanding |
---|---|---|
Fall 2018 | PHYS 213 |