Exploitation of the CMS experiment at the LHC, construction of MICE phase 2 and R&D for large-scale neutrino detectors.

Lead Research Organisation: Brunel University London
Department Name: Sch of Engineering and Design

Abstract

This grant supports research activities in particle physics at the Large Hadron Collider, CERN, the construction and testing of a beamline to evaluate a technique for the collimation of a muon beam, and work aimed at developing new techniques for the construction of megatonne detectors for neutrinos. Exploiting the newly commissioned Compact Muon Solenoid detector at the LHC will bring greatly enhanced understanding of the 'Standard Model' of particle physics, particularly in the area of heavy-quark physics, searching for as yet undiscovered gauge bosons and supersymmetric particles, and ultimately shedding light on the mysterious 'Higgs' boson which is connected with the origins of mass. The experimental work on to producing a narrow beam of muons is an essential precursor to building intense beams of these particles which will be used, by their decay in flight, to provide intense beams of neutrinos to be detected in large (million tonne) detector systems. Studying in detail the properties of neutrinos will illuminate the matter/anti-matter asymmetry of our universe.

Publications

10 25 50

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Sirunyan AM (2017) Observation of Top Quark Production in Proton-Nucleus Collisions. in Physical review letters

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Sirunyan AM (2017) Searches for pair production of third-generation squarks in [Formula: see text][Formula: see text] pp collisions. in The European physical journal. C, Particles and fields

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Strong A (2017) An evaluation of physical activity training in Australian medical school curricula. in Journal of science and medicine in sport

 
Description Further understanding of the fundamental origins of the universe through our greater understanding of the Standard Model of particle physics
Exploitation Route It is always hard to predict the applications or impact of fundamental research.
Sectors Education

 
Description Consolidated Grant
Amount £221,741 (GBP)
Funding ID ST/K001639/1 
Organisation Science and Technologies Facilities Council (STFC) 
Sector Public
Country United Kingdom
Start 10/2012 
End 09/2015
 
Description Standard Grant
Amount £233,026 (GBP)
Funding ID ST/K003542/1 
Organisation Science and Technologies Facilities Council (STFC) 
Sector Public
Country United Kingdom
Start 04/2013 
End 03/2015
 
Description Technology Programme
Amount £637,523 (GBP)
Funding ID EP/L504671/1 
Organisation Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) 
Sector Public
Country United Kingdom
Start 09/2013 
End 08/2016
 
Description CMS 
Organisation European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN)
Department Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS)
Country Switzerland 
Sector Public 
PI Contribution Construction, comissioning and operation of the CMS experiment. Data analysis in top-quark physics studies. Provision (via GridPP London Tier-2) of computing resources.
Collaborator Contribution Data acquistion, computing resources (Tier 0), co-authorship of publications, access to data, scientific leadership and support
Impact Over 200 refereed journal publications in experimental particle physics. Along with LHC data analysed by the ATLAS collaboration CMS determined the existence of the Higgs boson which was the subject of the 2013 Nobel Prize in Physics. Several STFC funded doctoral students have been trained in data analysis, computer programming and large-scale distributed Grid computing techniques.
 
Description CMS 
Organisation Imperial College London
Department Department of Physics
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution Construction, comissioning and operation of the CMS experiment. Data analysis in top-quark physics studies. Provision (via GridPP London Tier-2) of computing resources.
Collaborator Contribution Data acquistion, computing resources (Tier 0), co-authorship of publications, access to data, scientific leadership and support
Impact Over 200 refereed journal publications in experimental particle physics. Along with LHC data analysed by the ATLAS collaboration CMS determined the existence of the Higgs boson which was the subject of the 2013 Nobel Prize in Physics. Several STFC funded doctoral students have been trained in data analysis, computer programming and large-scale distributed Grid computing techniques.
 
Description CMS 
Organisation Rutherford Appleton Laboratory
Department Particle Physics Department
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Public 
PI Contribution Construction, comissioning and operation of the CMS experiment. Data analysis in top-quark physics studies. Provision (via GridPP London Tier-2) of computing resources.
Collaborator Contribution Data acquistion, computing resources (Tier 0), co-authorship of publications, access to data, scientific leadership and support
Impact Over 200 refereed journal publications in experimental particle physics. Along with LHC data analysed by the ATLAS collaboration CMS determined the existence of the Higgs boson which was the subject of the 2013 Nobel Prize in Physics. Several STFC funded doctoral students have been trained in data analysis, computer programming and large-scale distributed Grid computing techniques.
 
Description CMS 
Organisation University of Bristol
Department School of Physics
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution Construction, comissioning and operation of the CMS experiment. Data analysis in top-quark physics studies. Provision (via GridPP London Tier-2) of computing resources.
Collaborator Contribution Data acquistion, computing resources (Tier 0), co-authorship of publications, access to data, scientific leadership and support
Impact Over 200 refereed journal publications in experimental particle physics. Along with LHC data analysed by the ATLAS collaboration CMS determined the existence of the Higgs boson which was the subject of the 2013 Nobel Prize in Physics. Several STFC funded doctoral students have been trained in data analysis, computer programming and large-scale distributed Grid computing techniques.
 
Description Big Bang Fair NEC 2014 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? Yes
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact This exhibit showed the ideas behind the Higgs boson, and guided visitors through the physics, engineering and computing developments that have led to its discovery. Activities included: mass generation using magnets; operation of a table-top accelerator; handling of components from LHC detectors; and dice games that simulate particle-physics experiments.

From badges given away to individual visitors we estimate about 5000 people (pre-booked school groups and 7-18 year-old children with parents/carers) came to the stand.

Not yet known, activity took place last week.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2014
URL http://www.thebigbangfair.co.uk/View/?con_id=3108
 
Description Goldsmith A-level Physics Teachers Course 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an open day or visit at my research institution
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Type Of Presentation Workshop Facilitator
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Schools
Results and Impact Invited talks on particle physics plus one-day visit to CERN. 25 A-level (or equivalent) Physics Teachers attend a week-long residential course run at Brunel.

Contacts established with Schools whom we subsequently have visited.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity Pre-2006,2006,2007,2008,2009,2010,2011,2012
 
Description Public Lecture on Higgs discovery 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Type Of Presentation Keynote/Invited Speaker
Geographic Reach Local
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact 45 school pupils attended out of a toal audience of about 130

None so far
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2013
 
Description Royal Society Summer Exhibition 2013 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? Yes
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact The Exhibition is the Society's main public event of the year and is open to members of the general public as well as students and teachers, scientists, policymakers and the media. The "Higgs Boson" stand was one of the most visited during the exhibition. Over 2300 students and 260 teachers visited the exhibition, most of whom will have visited the Higgs Boson stand. Over 11000 visitors in total attended and we estimate well over half of these visited our stand (judged by number of items given away to visitors).

A large number of visitors from the general public were enthused about the LHC, ATLAS & CMS experiments and the UK role in discovering the Higgs Boson.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2013
URL http://sse.royalsociety.org/2013/exhibits/higgs-boson/
 
Description Royal Society Summer Science Exhibition 2014 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? Yes
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact Talks and presentations generated discussion and engagement with Nobel Prize winning physics.

Generated a great deal of interest in the Higgs Boson, Dark Matter and Supersymmetry amongst a diverse audience.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2014
URL http://sse.royalsociety.org/2014/higgs-boson/
 
Description School Visit 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an open day or visit at my research institution
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Local
Primary Audience Schools
Results and Impact Members of the group talked about their careers in physics to groups of secondary school students.

Not known
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2010
 
Description School visit (High Wycombe) 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Schools
Results and Impact Talk to 24 Y12 pupils at Wycombe Abbey School to help them make the most out of a scheduled visit to CERN early in 2016. As a result of this activity it was reported back to me (by one of the teachers who attended my presentation and accompanied the pupils on the school visit) that hey were able to benefit more from their visit to CERN. In addition interest was expressed in the possibility of two-week work experience placements at Brunel.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2015