The KEK Theory Meeting on Particle Phenomenology (KEK-PH) was held at the KEK Tsukuba Campus from November 7th to 10th. KEK-PH is an annual international research conference on particle theory held in Tsukuba and has a history of 20 years. It also serves as a platform for young researchers from both domestic and international backgrounds to present their research.

This year’s meeting drew approximately 100 participants from both Japan and abroad, covering a wide array of topics. As well as discussions on new particle physics models and various theoretical researches, there were reports from experimental activities, including latest results of on-going particle physics experiments, introduction of next-generation accelerator experiments, and those related to the recent gravitational wave detections.

Specifically, there were presentations addressing high expectations regarding the Belle II experiment advancing our understanding of particle physics. Talks also centered on a range of new physics exploration experiments achievable through future accelerator experiment plans, such as the muon collider and the International Linear Collider (ILC).  These presentations provided a valuable opportunity to contemplate the future direction of particle theory research. Additionally, there were exciting topics such as reports on the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) exploring the early stages of the universe and the detection of gravitational waves with periods of several decades by the North American NanoHertz Gravitational Wave Observatory (NANOGrav). On the theoretical physics side, new topics like novel forms of symmetry and quantum computation were introduced, reaffirming that “particle physics is fascinating!” as reiterated throughout the conference.