The study of elementary particles and their interactions
Lead Research Organisation:
Imperial College London
Department Name: Physics
Abstract
This grant is to continue the group's programme of investigation into the properties of elementary particles and the fundamental forces of nature.
One of the main objectives of this grant will be to support the exploitation of the LHC experiments which will be taking data during the period of this grant. The CMS experiment will continue to measure the Higgs particle, following its successful discovery in 2012. It will also be able to cover completely new areas of parameter space in searches for SUSY and other new phenomena such as finding evidence of potential dark matter candidates. The LHCb experiment will offer complementary tests of the Standard Model and beyond with the ability to look for extremely rare decays in flavour physics and to measure CP asymmetries in the decays of B mesons, both of which are sensitive to contributions from new physics. These experiments will make extensive use of Grid computing which the group will continue to develop and exploit, both for the LHC and for other experiments. The group will also be active in preparing the next generation of detectors for the high luminosity upgrade of the LHC.
The T2K experiment will allow us to expand our understanding of the masses and mixings in the neutrino sector, and should provide key measurements which will guide us as to whether we ultimately could see evidence of CP violation in the neutrino sector. One of the other missing pieces of the neutrino puzzle is whether the neutrino is its own antiparticle. We are preparing the SuperNEMO experiment to attempt to determine if the neutrino is a Majorana particle and first data-taking will occur during the grant. Heavy neutrino-like particles are predicted in several new physics models and we are starting preparations for the SHiP experiment to search for these new particles.
The group will be active in several experiments specifically searching for new physics. Direct conversion of muons to electrons is heavily suppressed in the Standard Model so any observation of this process would be a major discovery. The COMET experiment is searching for this process and will take data during the grant. Similarly, a measurable electric dipole moment for the electron could only arise through new physics and the eEDM experiment will continue to push down the limits for such an effect. Around a quarter of the universe is composed of dark matter and its nature is unknown. This has so far remained undetected in the laboratory and the group will continue its activity in searching for direct evidence of a dark matter candidate through the LUX and later LUX-ZEPLIN experiments.
Accelerators to produce muon beams will be needed for future neutrino and muon collider experiments. The group is continuing its research in this area through the MICE experiment and nuSTORM studies. Proton beams also have potential applications for other scientific fields and for healthcare, and the group is studying how to apply these techniques in these areas. Understanding the LHC in terms of phenomenology is critical to comparing data to theory and the group is very active in this area.
One of the main objectives of this grant will be to support the exploitation of the LHC experiments which will be taking data during the period of this grant. The CMS experiment will continue to measure the Higgs particle, following its successful discovery in 2012. It will also be able to cover completely new areas of parameter space in searches for SUSY and other new phenomena such as finding evidence of potential dark matter candidates. The LHCb experiment will offer complementary tests of the Standard Model and beyond with the ability to look for extremely rare decays in flavour physics and to measure CP asymmetries in the decays of B mesons, both of which are sensitive to contributions from new physics. These experiments will make extensive use of Grid computing which the group will continue to develop and exploit, both for the LHC and for other experiments. The group will also be active in preparing the next generation of detectors for the high luminosity upgrade of the LHC.
The T2K experiment will allow us to expand our understanding of the masses and mixings in the neutrino sector, and should provide key measurements which will guide us as to whether we ultimately could see evidence of CP violation in the neutrino sector. One of the other missing pieces of the neutrino puzzle is whether the neutrino is its own antiparticle. We are preparing the SuperNEMO experiment to attempt to determine if the neutrino is a Majorana particle and first data-taking will occur during the grant. Heavy neutrino-like particles are predicted in several new physics models and we are starting preparations for the SHiP experiment to search for these new particles.
The group will be active in several experiments specifically searching for new physics. Direct conversion of muons to electrons is heavily suppressed in the Standard Model so any observation of this process would be a major discovery. The COMET experiment is searching for this process and will take data during the grant. Similarly, a measurable electric dipole moment for the electron could only arise through new physics and the eEDM experiment will continue to push down the limits for such an effect. Around a quarter of the universe is composed of dark matter and its nature is unknown. This has so far remained undetected in the laboratory and the group will continue its activity in searching for direct evidence of a dark matter candidate through the LUX and later LUX-ZEPLIN experiments.
Accelerators to produce muon beams will be needed for future neutrino and muon collider experiments. The group is continuing its research in this area through the MICE experiment and nuSTORM studies. Proton beams also have potential applications for other scientific fields and for healthcare, and the group is studying how to apply these techniques in these areas. Understanding the LHC in terms of phenomenology is critical to comparing data to theory and the group is very active in this area.
Planned Impact
While much of the research described in this grant is exploring fundamental questions where the immediate impact implications of discoveries can take decades to unfold, there are many examples of areas where technology developed in the pursuit of discoveries can have a more immediate impact. The group has potential impact in several key areas; training, outreach, transfer of HEP technology and ideas, and transfer and development of accelerator technology. These reach a diverse audience ranging from schoolchildren to cancer practitioners to neutron source users. See the submitted "Pathways To Impact" document for further details.
Organisations
Publications
Winn M
(2019)
Highlights from the LHCb experiment
in Nuclear Physics A
Williams H
(2017)
Characteristics of a magneto-optical trap of molecules
in New Journal of Physics
Wang Q
(2019)
Multiparticle correlations and higher order harmonics in pPb collisions at s NN = 8.16 TeV
in Nuclear Physics A
Wan L
(2019)
Measurement of the neutrino-oxygen neutral-current quasielastic cross section using atmospheric neutrinos at Super-Kamiokande
in Physical Review D
Virdee TS
(2016)
Beyond the standard model of particle physics.
in Philosophical transactions. Series A, Mathematical, physical, and engineering sciences
Virdee T
(2015)
The Voyage of Discovery of the Higgs Boson at the LHC
in Annalen der Physik
Virdee T
(2016)
The long journey to the Higgs boson and beyond at the LHC: Emphasis on CMS
in International Journal of Modern Physics A
Uchida K
(2019)
Results from the CBC3 readout ASIC for CMS 2S-modules
in Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment
Tu Z
(2019)
Search for the chiral magnetic effect at the LHC with the CMS experiment
in Nuclear Physics A
Truppe S
(2017)
An intense, cold, velocity-controlled molecular beam by frequency-chirped laser slowing
in New Journal of Physics
Truppe S
(2017)
Molecules cooled below the Doppler limit
in Nature Physics
Tomás A
(2018)
Study and mitigation of spurious electron emission from cathodic wires in noble liquid time projection chambers
in Astroparticle Physics
Tokunaga S
(2017)
High-resolution mid-infrared spectroscopy of buffer-gas-cooled methyltrioxorhenium molecules
in New Journal of Physics
The LZ Collaboration
(2023)
A search for new physics in low-energy electron recoils from the first LZ exposure
The LHCb Collaboration
(2016)
Observation of ?b 0? ?(2S)pK-and ?b 0? J/?p+p-pK-decays and a measurement of the ?b 0baryon mass
in Journal of High Energy Physics
Tanabashi M
(2018)
Review of Particle Physics
in Physical Review D
T2K Collaboration
(2020)
Constraint on the matter-antimatter symmetry-violating phase in neutrino oscillations.
in Nature
Stowell P
(2017)
NUISANCE: a neutrino cross-section generator tuning and comparison framework
in Journal of Instrumentation
Stojanovic M
(2019)
Measurement of anisotropic flow in XeXe collisions at 5.44 TeV with the CMS experiment
in Nuclear Physics A
Sirunyan AM
(2018)
Measurement of the weak mixing angle using the forward-backward asymmetry of Drell-Yan events in p p collisions at 8 TeV.
in The European physical journal. C, Particles and fields
Sirunyan AM
(2018)
Search for Heavy Neutral Leptons in Events with Three Charged Leptons in Proton-Proton Collisions at sqrt[s]=13 TeV.
in Physical review letters
Sirunyan AM
(2019)
Measurements of triple-differential cross sections for inclusive isolated-photon+jet events in p p collisions at s = 8 TeV.
in The European physical journal. C, Particles and fields
Sirunyan AM
(2018)
Measurement of the top quark mass with lepton+jets final states using p p collisions at s = 13 TeV.
in The European physical journal. C, Particles and fields
Sirunyan AM
(2018)
Elliptic Flow of Charm and Strange Hadrons in High-Multiplicity p+Pb Collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=8.16 TeV.
in Physical review letters
Sirunyan AM
(2018)
Search for Physics Beyond the Standard Model in Events with High-Momentum Higgs Bosons and Missing Transverse Momentum in Proton-Proton Collisions at 13 TeV.
in Physical review letters
Sirunyan AM
(2018)
Observation of Correlated Azimuthal Anisotropy Fourier Harmonics in pp and p+Pb Collisions at the LHC.
in Physical review letters
Sirunyan AM
(2019)
Search for supersymmetry in events with a photon, jets, b -jets, and missing transverse momentum in proton-proton collisions at 13 Te .
in The European physical journal. C, Particles and fields
Sirunyan AM
(2019)
Measurement of the t t ¯ production cross section, the top quark mass, and the strong coupling constant using dilepton events in pp collisions at s = 13 Te .
in The European physical journal. C, Particles and fields
Sirunyan AM
(2018)
Search for new physics in events with a leptonically decaying Z boson and a large transverse momentum imbalance in proton-proton collisions at s = 13 TeV.
in The European physical journal. C, Particles and fields
Sirunyan AM
(2018)
Observation of Medium-Induced Modifications of Jet Fragmentation in Pb-Pb Collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=5.02 TeV Using Isolated Photon-Tagged Jets.
in Physical review letters
Sirunyan AM
(2018)
Measurement of b hadron lifetimes in pp collisions at s = 8 TeV.
in The European physical journal. C, Particles and fields
Sirunyan AM
(2018)
Suppression of Excited ? States Relative to the Ground State in Pb-Pb Collisions at sqrt[s]_{NN}=5.02 TeV.
in Physical review letters
Sirunyan AM
(2019)
Studies of Beauty Suppression via Nonprompt D^{0} Mesons in Pb-Pb Collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=5.02 TeV.
in Physical review letters
Sirunyan AM
(2018)
Observation of Higgs Boson Decay to Bottom Quarks.
in Physical review letters
Sirunyan AM
(2019)
Search for resonant production of second-generation sleptons with same-sign dimuon events in proton-proton collisions at s = 13 TeV.
in The European physical journal. C, Particles and fields
Sirunyan AM
(2019)
Azimuthal separation in nearly back-to-back jet topologies in inclusive 2- and 3-jet events in pp collisions at s = 13 Te .
in The European physical journal. C, Particles and fields
Sirunyan AM
(2018)
Measurement of differential cross sections for Z boson production in association with jets in proton-proton collisions at s = 13 TeV.
in The European physical journal. C, Particles and fields
Sirunyan AM
(2019)
Search for vector-like quarks in events with two oppositely charged leptons and jets in proton-proton collisions at s = 13 Te .
in The European physical journal. C, Particles and fields
Sirunyan AM
(2018)
Search for Leptoquarks Coupled to Third-Generation Quarks in Proton-Proton Collisions at sqrt[s]=13 TeV.
in Physical review letters
Sirunyan AM
(2019)
Observation of Two Excited B_{c}^{+} States and Measurement of the B_{c}^{+}(2S) Mass in pp Collisions at sqrt[s]=13 TeV.
in Physical review letters
Sirunyan AM
(2019)
Jet Shapes of Isolated Photon-Tagged Jets in Pb-Pb and pp Collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=5.02 TeV.
in Physical review letters
Sirunyan AM
(2018)
Measurement of prompt and nonprompt charmonium suppression in PbPb collisions at 5.02 TeV.
in The European physical journal. C, Particles and fields
Sirunyan AM
(2018)
Observation of Electroweak Production of Same-Sign W Boson Pairs in the Two Jet and Two Same-Sign Lepton Final State in Proton-Proton Collisions at sqrt[s]=13 TeV.
in Physical review letters
Sirunyan AM
(2018)
Constraining Gluon Distributions in Nuclei Using Dijets in Proton-Proton and Proton-Lead Collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=5.02 TeV.
in Physical review letters
Sirunyan AM
(2018)
Evidence for the Associated Production of a Single Top Quark and a Photon in Proton-Proton Collisions at sqrt[s]=13 TeV.
in Physical review letters
Sirunyan AM
(2019)
Measurement of exclusive ? 770 0 photoproduction in ultraperipheral pPb collisions at s NN = 5.02 Te .
in The European physical journal. C, Particles and fields
Sirunyan AM
(2018)
Measurement of associated Z + charm production in proton-proton collisions at s = 8 TeV.
in The European physical journal. C, Particles and fields
Sirunyan AM
(2019)
Search for W Boson Decays to Three Charged Pions.
in Physical review letters
| Description | One of the main objectives of this grant was to support the exploitation of the LHC experiments which were taking data during the period of this grant. The CMS experiment continued to measure the Higgs particle, following its successful discovery in 2012. It was also able to cover completely new areas of parameter space in searches for SUSY and other new phenomena such as finding evidence of potential dark matter candidates. The LHCb experiment offered complementary tests of the Standard Model and beyond with the ability to look for extremely rare decays in flavour physics and to measure CP asymmetries in the decays of B mesons, both of which are sensitive to contributions from new physics. These experiments made extensive use of Grid computing which we continued to develop and exploit, both for the LHC and for other experiments. We were also active in preparing the next generation of detectors for the high luminosity upgrade of the LHC. The T2K experiment allowed us to expand our understanding of the masses and mixings in the neutrino sector, and provided key measurements towards obtaining evidence of CP violation in the neutrino sector. One of the other missing pieces of the neutrino puzzle is whether the neutrino is its own antiparticle. We prepared the SuperNEMO experiment to attempt to determine if the neutrino is a Majorana particle and first data-taking occurred during the grant. Heavy neutrino-like particles are predicted in several new physics models and we started preparations for the SHiP experiment to search for these new particles. The group was active in several experiments specifically searching for new physics. Direct conversion of muons to electrons is heavily suppressed in the Standard Model so any observation of this process would be a major discovery. The COMET experiment was prepared to search for this process. Similarly, a measurable electric dipole moment for the electron could only arise through new physics and the eEDM experiment continued to push down the limits for such an effect. Around a quarter of the universe is composed of dark matter and its nature is unknown. This has so far remained undetected in the laboratory and we continued to search for direct evidence of a dark matter candidate through the LUX and later LUX-ZEPLIN experiments. Accelerators to produce muon beams will be needed for future neutrino and muon collider experiments. The group continued its research in this area through the MICE experiment and nuSTORM studies. Proton beams also have potential applications for other scientific fields and for healthcare, and we studied how to apply these techniques in these areas. Understanding the LHC in terms of phenomenology is critical to comparing data to theory and we were very active in this area. |
| Exploitation Route | The knowledge gained will directly benefit future researchers in particle physics, astronomy and cosmology. |
| Sectors | Digital/Communication/Information Technologies (including Software) Education Healthcare |
| Description | ZEPLIN-III detector exhibit & Public Lecture at "Whitby & the Cosmos" exhibition, Whitby, UK |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | The ZEPLIN-III dark matter detector, which operated at the Boulby Underground Laboratory between 2007 and 2011, was adapted for public display at Imperial College London and donated to the Whitby Museum in late 2018 -- where it became the centrepiece of the topical exhibition "Whitby & the Cosmos". I gave a public lecture entitled "Searching for WIMPs under the Moors" on 15 Feb 2019 to open the event. The ZEPLIN-III instrument will be moved to the permanent collection of the Museum once the exhibition comes to an end in July 2019. Both the exhibition and the public lecture were widely publicised in the local media. The Museum received further support from the Royal Society for this event. The exhibition will receive many thousand of visitors over the coming months. We had the opportunity to donate the instrument to the Science Museum in London, but we chose the Whitby Museum instead to honour a town which hosted the ZEPLIN collaboration for two decades. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| URL | https://whitbymuseum.org.uk/2019/01/09/whitby-and-the-cosmos/ |