Particle Physics Rolling Grant 2009
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Oxford
Department Name: Oxford Physics
Abstract
Particle physics attempts to understand the Universe and its evolution in terms of the interplay of a small number of fundamental forces and particles. The last thirty years has seen the development of a robust and extremely successful theoretical framework, known as the Standard Model, in which all available data can be explained. However, this model is demonstrably incomplete and has many parameters that must be inserted by hand. Our proposed progamme will significantly advance our understanding of whatever theory must be constructed to replace the Standard Model. Our collaboration in the SNO experiment has been a major contributor to our understanding of the phenomenon of neutrino mass, originally outside the Standard Model. As SNO draws to an end, we will continue our neutrino investigations with a leading role in the MINOS experiment and the next generation experiment based in Japan, T2K. We plan to measure other fundamental properties of the neutrino, such as whether or not it is its own antiparticle - a Majorana or a Dirac neutrino - by utilising our unique experience with the SNO experiment and its underground laboratory. The CDF experiment is coming to the end of its life as LHC takes over the energy frontier, but we intend to continue our important contributions to the remaining running and in the exploitation of the full data sample to produce papers. The ZEUS experiment has now completed data taking; we are determined to play a major part in bringing these classic results on the structure of the proton, and the strong interaction, to publication. These results are likely to remain in the text-books for many years. After the disappointment of the failure of the LHC in 2008, repairs are well under way and the LHC experiments will come on line during the period of this Rolling Grant. We will ensure that Oxford plays a major role in the extraction of physics results from ATLAS and LHCb, which have the potential to completely revolutionise our understanding of particle physics. We are committed to providing the computing resources and analysis tools necessary for the extraction of these results, and our work in ensuring that Grid concepts and technology are available to the wider academic and business community will continue. The CRESST-II and cryo-EDM experiments will use technologies in which Oxford has a world lead to explore some of the most important questions in particle physics and cosmology; in particular the nature off the material that appears to make up most of the Universe. The spokesman of a major new initiative in this area, EURECA, is from Oxford, so that we will continue our leading role in the search for Dark Matter. The John Adams Institute for Accelerator Science has major programmes in the accelerators of the future, including Linear Colliders and the Neutrino Factory. The JAI has established itself as a world-class institute in accelerator physics under the leadership of Professor Peach; we are starting the search for a world-class accelerator scientist to be his successor. We are also providing leaders in international bodies charged with the development of new accelerators. We will continue to develop and enhance our capabilities in mechanical and electronics design so that Oxford will retain the ability to construct the most sophisticated apparatus of whatever size is required for the physics objectives. We are determined to play a leading role in world particle physics in the future, as we have in the past.
Organisations
Publications
Aad G
(2010)
The ATLAS Inner Detector commissioning and calibration
in The European Physical Journal C
Aharmim B
(2010)
SEARCHES FOR HIGH-FREQUENCY VARIATIONS IN THE 8 B SOLAR NEUTRINO FLUX AT THE SUDBURY NEUTRINO OBSERVATORY
in The Astrophysical Journal
Beck G
(2010)
Analytic model of thermal runaway in silicon detectors
in Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment
Aaron F
(2010)
Events with an isolated lepton and missing transverse momentum and measurement of W production at HERA
in Journal of High Energy Physics
Chekanov S
(2010)
A QCD analysis of ZEUS diffractive data
in Nuclear Physics B
Aaltonen T
(2010)
Search for technicolor particles produced in association with a W Boson at CDF.
in Physical review letters
Adamson P
(2010)
Observation of muon intensity variations by season with the MINOS far detector
in Physical Review D
Aaltonen T
(2010)
Search for the supersymmetric partner of the top quark in p p ¯ collisions at s = 1.96 TeV
in Physical Review D
Aad G
(2011)
Search for an excess of events with an identical flavour lepton pair and significant missing transverse momentum in $\sqrt{s}=7$ TeV proton-proton collisions with the ATLAS detector
in The European Physical Journal C
Aad G
(2011)
Search for the Higgs boson in the H?WW?l?jj decay channel in pp collisions at vs=7 TeV with the ATLAS detector.
in Physical review letters
Lowrey N
(2011)
Analysis of the decay D 0 ? K S 0 p 0 p 0
in Physical Review D
Aad G
(2011)
Study of jet shapes in inclusive jet production in p p collisions at s = 7 TeV using the ATLAS detector
in Physical Review D
Kornicer M
(2011)
Measurements of branching fractions for electromagnetic transitions involving the ? b J ( 1 P ) states
in Physical Review D
Aad G
(2011)
Search for the Standard Model Higgs boson in the two photon decay channel with the ATLAS detector at the LHC
in Physics Letters B
Ahmed Z
(2011)
Combined limits on WIMPs from the CDMS and EDELWEISS experiments
in Physical Review D
Aaij R
(2011)
Search for C P violation in D + ? K - K + p + decays
in Physical Review D
Aaij R
(2011)
First observation of B ¯ s 0 ? D s 2 ? + X µ - ? ¯ decays
in Physics Letters B
Aad G
(2011)
Measurement of the production cross section for W-bosons in association with jets in pp collisions at s = 7 TeV with the ATLAS detector
in Physics Letters B
Aad G
(2011)
Measurement of inclusive jet and dijet cross sections in proton-proton collisions at 7 TeV centre-of-mass energy with the ATLAS detector
in The European Physical Journal C
Aad G
(2011)
Studies of the performance of the ATLAS detector using cosmic-ray muons
in The European Physical Journal C
Aad G
(2011)
Measurement of dijet azimuthal decorrelations in pp collisions at sqrt(s)=7 TeV.
in Physical review letters
Aad G
(2011)
Search for stable hadronising squarks and gluinos with the ATLAS experiment at the LHC
in Physics Letters B
Aaltonen T
(2011)
Observation of the baryonic flavor-changing neutral current decay ?b(0)??µ+µ-.
in Physical review letters
Aad G
(2011)
Measurement of W? and Z? production in proton-proton collisions at $ \sqrt {s} = 7 $ TeV with the ATLAS detector
in Journal of High Energy Physics
Aaltonen T
(2011)
Search for a heavy toplike quark in pp collisions at vs=1.96 TeV.
in Physical review letters
Description | Media interviews and articles |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A magazine, newsletter or online publication |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Members of staff supported on this grant give interviews regularly to radio, newspapers and magazine. There are too many examples to list separately, but include BBC Radios 3 and 4, Irish Radio, Radio New Zealand, Research Fortnight, Nature, New Scientist, etc. General impact of public and opinion formers. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2006,2007,2008,2009,2010,2011,2012,2013,2014 |
Description | Particle Physics Masterclass |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an open day or visit at my research institution |
Part Of Official Scheme? | Yes |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Schools |
Results and Impact | Teachers bring groups of pupils to a concentrated 1-day event in which they hear the latest news from particle physics, get involved with hands-on activities and interact with academic staff. Interacts with students and teachers - the classes are always full, we run 2 separate days and each year we reach more than 100 pupils and teachers. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2006,2007,2008,2009,2010,2011,2012,2013 |
Description | Schools |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Schools |
Results and Impact | Visits by researchers to schools to give talks about LHC, neutrinos and other areas of particle physics Around 100 schools visited by various members of staff since 2006. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2006,2007,2008,2009,2010,2011,2012,2013,2014 |
Description | Teachers Open Day in Accelerators and Particle Physics |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an open day or visit at my research institution |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Schools |
Results and Impact | Teachers spent the day in Oxford having a refresher course on the latest research results in accelerator science and particle physics. Interaction with many physics teachers in schools. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2010 |