Bristol Particle Physics Consolidated Grant 2012-17
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Bristol
Department Name: Physics
Abstract
The University of Bristol proposes to carry out research into the fundamental laws of space, time, matter and force. The current theoretical description of physics at the smallest scales, the Standard Model, is known not to hold at energies greater than around 1TeV. By carrying out experiments at particle colliders, we will observe how and when the Standard Model breaks down; discover new models which accurate describe physics at these scales; measure the parameters of these models; and investigate their significance for cosmology and the study of the large-scale universe. This work will be carried out using a wide range of different experiments and studies.
The experimental data supporting this programme will be obtained using the CMS and LHCb experiments at the CERN LHC, and the NA62 experiment at the CERN SPS. We will use these detectors to work both at the energy frontier, with sensitivity to new heavy particles, and the precision frontier, comparing the largest ever experimental data sets with the predictions of the Standard Model. Having built important components of these experiments, we will continue to operate and maintain the apparatus, and design and install upgraded equipment to further enhance their capabilities.
We will design and construct new particle detectors and instruments, optimised for sensitivity, performance and cost. Along with new techniques we will develop in computing and data analysis, this technology will be used in the future to build new experiments at future colliders, and to solve practical problems in the security, medical and environmental sectors.
The results of our research will be publicised via talks, media involvement and events, in order to enhance public understanding and appreciation of science. We will engage with schools wherever possible, in order to ensure the continued take-up of science subjects at school and university level.
The experimental data supporting this programme will be obtained using the CMS and LHCb experiments at the CERN LHC, and the NA62 experiment at the CERN SPS. We will use these detectors to work both at the energy frontier, with sensitivity to new heavy particles, and the precision frontier, comparing the largest ever experimental data sets with the predictions of the Standard Model. Having built important components of these experiments, we will continue to operate and maintain the apparatus, and design and install upgraded equipment to further enhance their capabilities.
We will design and construct new particle detectors and instruments, optimised for sensitivity, performance and cost. Along with new techniques we will develop in computing and data analysis, this technology will be used in the future to build new experiments at future colliders, and to solve practical problems in the security, medical and environmental sectors.
The results of our research will be publicised via talks, media involvement and events, in order to enhance public understanding and appreciation of science. We will engage with schools wherever possible, in order to ensure the continued take-up of science subjects at school and university level.
Planned Impact
The key beneficiaries of the proposed research programme, and the benefits they are likely to obtain, can be classified as follows:
- The results obtained and techniques developed in this programme will be of direct benefit in the international fields of experimental and theoretical particle physics and astronomy. The research outputs will directly address outstanding questions in these fields.
- Other academic disciplines will benefit directly and indirectly through access to instruments and techniques developed in this research programme. There is also potential impact upon private-sector companies for commercialisation of detector and computing technology. Examples of areas where impact has already been demonstrated include the security and medical instrumentation sectors. UK industry will also benefit through contracts for specialized detectors and electronic / mechanical assemblies.
- The results from high-profile particle physics experiments provide both a significant cultural impact for the general public, and an impact on the science agenda of national and regional government. Engagement of both the general public and policy makers is an explicit aim of this programme, with routes detailed in the pathways to impact document.
- There is a particular impact upon schools and universities, due to the postitive effect of experimental particle physics upon take up of science courses at GCSE, A-Level and degree levels. The results obtained as part of this research programme will help to continue the 'LHC effect', with physics becoming an increasingly popular subject.
- The technological and organisational demands of experimental particle physics have a demonstrated impact upon culture and best practice in universities and academia in general, and will continue to do so. For instance, through the move to open electronic repositories and open publishing; through the use of networking and distributed research in many disciplines; and through well planned and high profile public engagement exercises.
- The results obtained and techniques developed in this programme will be of direct benefit in the international fields of experimental and theoretical particle physics and astronomy. The research outputs will directly address outstanding questions in these fields.
- Other academic disciplines will benefit directly and indirectly through access to instruments and techniques developed in this research programme. There is also potential impact upon private-sector companies for commercialisation of detector and computing technology. Examples of areas where impact has already been demonstrated include the security and medical instrumentation sectors. UK industry will also benefit through contracts for specialized detectors and electronic / mechanical assemblies.
- The results from high-profile particle physics experiments provide both a significant cultural impact for the general public, and an impact on the science agenda of national and regional government. Engagement of both the general public and policy makers is an explicit aim of this programme, with routes detailed in the pathways to impact document.
- There is a particular impact upon schools and universities, due to the postitive effect of experimental particle physics upon take up of science courses at GCSE, A-Level and degree levels. The results obtained as part of this research programme will help to continue the 'LHC effect', with physics becoming an increasingly popular subject.
- The technological and organisational demands of experimental particle physics have a demonstrated impact upon culture and best practice in universities and academia in general, and will continue to do so. For instance, through the move to open electronic repositories and open publishing; through the use of networking and distributed research in many disciplines; and through well planned and high profile public engagement exercises.
Organisations
Publications
Kao K
(2013)
Alignment of the CMS Preshower detector
in Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment
Chatrchyan S
(2013)
Study of the mass and spin-parity of the Higgs boson candidate via its decays to Z boson pairs.
in Physical review letters
Ntomari E
(2013)
Search for SUSY in final states with photons at CMS
in EPJ Web of Conferences
Spighi R
(2013)
Top-quark and electroweak results from ATLAS and CMS
in Nuclear Physics B - Proceedings Supplements
CMS Collaboration
(2013)
Search for supersymmetry in pp collisions at [Formula: see text] TeV in events with a single lepton, jets, and missing transverse momentum.
in The European physical journal. C, Particles and fields
Aaij R
(2013)
Evidence for the decay B 0 ? J / ? ? and measurement of the relative branching fractions of B s 0 meson decays to J / ? ? and J / ? ? '
in Nuclear Physics B
Varela J
(2013)
Measurement of the properties of the 125 GeV Higgs boson with the CMS detector
in Journal of Physics: Conference Series
Perieanu A
(2013)
CMS Silicon Strip alignment and monitoring with the Laser Alignment System
in Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment
Junkes A
(2013)
Planar silicon sensors for the CMS tracker upgrade
in Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment
Wöhri H
(2013)
Heavy Flavour and Quarkonium Production at the LHC
in EPJ Web of Conferences
Chatrchyan S
(2013)
Measurement of the prompt J / ? and ? ( 2 S ) polarizations in pp collisions at s = 7 TeV
in Physics Letters B
Proskuryakov A
(2013)
Particle Physics at the Tercentenary of Mikhail Lomonosov
Lai Y
(2013)
Measurement of isolated-photon+jet correlations in PbPb collisions at s N N = 2.76 TeV with CMS
in Nuclear Physics A
Bartoloni A
(2013)
The CMS ECAL Barrel HV system
in Journal of Instrumentation
Andrea J
(2013)
Precise top quark cross-section results at LHC
in Journal of Physics: Conference Series
Aaij R
(2013)
Prompt charm production in pp collisions at s = 7 TeV
in Nuclear Physics B
Calderón De La Barca Sánc M
(2013)
Quarkonium Results in PbPb Collisions at CMS
in Journal of Physics: Conference Series
Aaij R
(2013)
Analysis of the resonant components in B ¯ 0 ? J / ? p + p -
in Physical Review D
Aaij R
(2013)
Measurement of the effective B s 0 ? J / ? K S 0 lifetime
in Nuclear Physics B
Fanfani A
(2013)
Studies of exotic quarkonium states at CMS
in Journal of Physics: Conference Series
Aaij R
(2013)
Search for the lepton-flavor-violating decays B(s)0?e(±)µ(±) and B0?e(±)µ(±).
in Physical review letters
Benaglia A
(2013)
Measurements of properties of the Higgs-like Particle at 125 GeV by the CMS collaboration
in EPJ Web of Conferences
Chatrchyan S
(2013)
Search for a non-standard-model Higgs boson decaying to a pair of new light bosons in four-muon final states
in Physics Letters B
Wöhrmann H
(2013)
Studies of the nuclear stopping power in PbPb collisions at 2.76 TeV with CMS
in Nuclear Physics A
Savina M
(2013)
Searches for signals from microscopic black holes in processes of proton collisions at $\sqrt s $ = 7 TeV in the CMS experiment at the LHC
in Physics of Atomic Nuclei
Aaij R
(2013)
First observation of the decay Bs2*(5840)(0)?B*+ K- and studies of excited Bs(0) mesons.
in Physical review letters
LHCb Collaboration
(2013)
Measurements of the branching fractions of [Formula: see text] decays.
in The European physical journal. C, Particles and fields
Collaboration T
(2013)
The performance of the CMS muon detector in proton-proton collisions at v s = 7 TeV at the LHC
in Journal of Instrumentation
Adler V
(2013)
Top properties in tt¯ events at CMS (includes mass)
in EPJ Web of Conferences
Strobbe N
(2013)
Search for the direct production of top squark pairs with the CMS detector
in EPJ Web of Conferences
Page R
(2013)
Towards using a Monolithic Active Pixel Sensor for in vivo beam monitoring of Intensity Modulated Radiotherapy
in Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment
Kim T.J.
(2013)
Searches for Gauge Mediated Supersymmetry Breaking scenarios at CMS
in EPJ Web of Conferences
Aaij R
(2013)
Determination of the X(3872) meson quantum numbers.
in Physical review letters
Aaij R
(2013)
First measurement of the CP-violating phase in Bs(0) ? ?? decays.
in Physical review letters
Ulrich R
(2013)
Low-x physics results from CMS
Bernard-Schwarz M
(2013)
Future silicon sensors for the CMS Tracker Upgrade
in Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment
Aaij R
(2013)
Observations of B s 0 ? ? ( 2 S ) ? and B ( s ) 0 ? ? ( 2 S ) p + p - decays
in Nuclear Physics B
Aaij R
(2013)
Search for rare B(0)((s))?µ(+)µ(-)µ(+)µ(-) decays.
in Physical review letters
Chatrchyan S
(2013)
Search for a Higgs boson decaying into a b-quark pair and produced in association with b quarks in proton-proton collisions at 7 TeV
in Physics Letters B
Kieseler J
(2013)
Measurement of the tt¯ production cross section in the dilepton channel in proton-proton collisions at = 8 TeV with the CMS experiment
in Journal of Physics: Conference Series
Barth C
(2013)
Evolution of silicon sensor characteristics of the CMS silicon strip tracker
in Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment
Shi X
(2013)
Studies on B hadron production, spectroscopy and decays at CMS
in Journal of Physics: Conference Series
Höhle F
(2013)
Measurement of Spin Correlations in Top Pair Events in the Dilepton Channels in pp Collisions at 7 TeV
in Journal of Physics: Conference Series
De Guio F
(2013)
Performance of the CMS electromagnetic calorimeter and its role in the hunt for the Higgs boson in the two-photon channel
in Journal of Physics: Conference Series
Chatrchyan S
(2013)
Measurement of neutral strange particle production in the underlying event in proton-proton collisions at s = 7 TeV
in Physical Review D
Chatrchyan S
(2013)
Measurement of the Bs(0)?µ+ µ- branching fraction and search for B(0)?µ+ µ- with the CMS experiment.
in Physical review letters
Benhabib L
(2013)
W and Z in heavy ion collisions with CMS
in Nuclear Physics A
Chatrchyan S
(2013)
Searches for Higgs bosons in pp collisions at s = 7 and 8 TeV in the context of four-generation and fermiophobic models
in Physics Letters B
Pilot J
(2013)
Boosted Top Quarks, Top Pair Resonances, and Top Partner Searches at the LHC
in EPJ Web of Conferences
| Description | This award supported several key developments in particle physics. Most notably, early in the funding period the Higgs boson was discovered and considerable effort was then spent to precisely determine its properties to see if it is really exactly as predicted. There were a host of other measurements at various experiments, pinning down details of the standard model and trying to spot deviations. Finally, good progress was made in "spinning out" particle physics technology into other areas, including the development of systems for scanning for dense materials (with security and other applications) as well as for radiotherapy beam monitoring. |
| Exploitation Route | The group is continuing to pursue these lines of research with subsequent grants. Other particle physics groups have also noted our results. And companies are working with us to develop commercial products based on our knowledge exchange. |
| Sectors | Aerospace Defence and Marine Digital/Communication/Information Technologies (including Software) Education Healthcare |
| Description | Research conducted in muon tomography is being investigated by homeland security agencies, the nuclear industry and others as a means of remote, non-invasive imaging. Research in radiotherapy beam monitoring has led to commercial products. |
| First Year Of Impact | 2017 |
| Sector | Aerospace, Defence and Marine,Digital/Communication/Information Technologies (including Software),Healthcare,Security and Diplomacy |
| Impact Types | Societal Economic |