Experimental Particle Physics Rolling Grant 2009-2014
Lead Research Organisation:
Lancaster University
Department Name: Physics
Abstract
This research is aimed at understanding the properties of the basic building blocks of the Universe (the elementary particles) and the nature of the fundamental forces which govern the interactions of these particles. In so doing, deep insights will be gained about the origin and evolution of the Universe, especially in the first moments after the Big Bang. The Lancaster research programme covers all the main types of accelerator facilities and is based on hadron collider physics with the Tevatron (Fermilab) and LHC (CERN) machines, and the observation of long baseline neutrino oscillations in Japan. All of this work will be underpinned by Lancaster's expertise in characterising and understanding the properties of heavily irradiated silicon particle detectors, in operating high performance computing facilities on the Grid and in writing offline event reconstruction software. The hadron collider physics is expected to reveal detailed properties of B hadrons (containing heavy b-quarks) including the mixing of neutral B mesons containing strange quarks, and CP violation which is related to the existence of the matter-antimatter asymmetry in the Universe. Searches for new physics at the LHC will focus on understanding the origin of mass (and the role of the Higgs boson), the existence of new symmetries of nature (e.g. supersymmetry) and extra spatial dimensions. The neutrino oscillations programme is expected to provide important information about the masses of and the amount of mixing amongst the three known species of neutrinos. If the appearance of electron neutrinos can be observed in a muon neutrino beam then it may be possible, in a further phase of the research, to establish the existence of CP violation in the neutrino sector of the Standard Model. This could have wide reaching implications for the understanding of the matter-antimatter asymmetry of the Universe. The development of new particle accelerator technology for high energy particle physics and a broad range of alternaive applications is the mission of the Cockcroft Institute. The Lancaster group were co-founders of the Institute and remain commited to supporting its evolution.
Organisations
Publications
Aad G
(2014)
Search for direct pair production of the top squark in all-hadronic final states in proton-proton collisions at s $$ \sqrt{s} $$ = 8 TeV with the ATLAS detector
in Journal of High Energy Physics
Aad G
(2014)
Search for direct top-squark pair production in final states with two leptons in pp collisions at $ \sqrt{s} $ = 8 TeV with the ATLAS detector
in Journal of High Energy Physics
Aad G
(2014)
Search for the lepton flavor violating decay Z ? e µ in p p collisions at s = 8 TeV with the ATLAS detector
in Physical Review D
Aad G
(2014)
Search for the Standard Model Higgs boson decay to µ + µ - with the ATLAS detector
in Physics Letters B
Aad G
(2011)
Search for massive long-lived highly ionising particles with the ATLAS detector at the LHC
in Physics Letters B
Aad G
(2011)
Search for neutral MSSM Higgs bosons decaying to t + t - pairs in proton-proton collisions at s = 7 TeV with the ATLAS detector
in Physics Letters B
Aad G
(2014)
Measurement of the production cross-section of ?(2S) ? J/?(?µ + µ - )p + p - in pp collisions at s $$ \sqrt{s} $$ = 7 TeV at ATLAS
in Journal of High Energy Physics
Aad G
(2013)
Evidence for the spin-0 nature of the Higgs boson using ATLAS data
in Physics Letters B
Aad G
(2014)
Search for Invisible Decays of a Higgs Boson Produced in Association with a Z Boson in ATLAS
in Physical Review Letters
Description | The discovery of the Higgs boson at the LHC and the first observation of neutrinos of one type (muon neutrinos) changing into neutrinos of another type (electron neutrinos). |
Exploitation Route | The research is ongoing and will lead to deeper insights into nature and the properties of the fundamental particles and forces. |
Sectors | Education |
URL | http://www.lancaster.ac.uk/physics/research/experimental-particle-physics/ |
Description | WOMAD 2016 Physics Pavilion |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Curated the first phsycis pavilion at the WOMAD festival 2016 in Wiltshire. Totoal attendence over 40,000, through the tent 4000 |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
Description | WOMAD 2017 |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | The Phsyis Pavilion was a talk space running over 3 days. The Lab is a workshop/activity space, also running over 3 days. The Gazebo is a small exhibition/interaction area for those queuing and passers-by. The total reach was estimated at 5.400 minimum. The footprint was larger - we feature prominently in the advertising for the event, which is seen worldwide. The activity is being cloned and adapted in Australia, New Zealand, Denmark and Slovakia. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
URL | http://womad.co.uk/physics-pavilion/ |