Experimental Particle Physics

The three-year timescale is particularly exciting with the possibility of imminent Higgs discovery at the LHC and the opening of a new energy frontier as part of the upgrade programme: we will focus our efforts on Higgs analysis, discovery and interpretation, and the search for new physics in CP violation and rare B decays. Improved analysis techniques, well-calibrated detectors, increased computing power and theoretical input will be essential and we are at the forefront of the required developments in these areas.
All academics are heavily involved in the LHC programme and our strategy is to generate leading-edge physics results from two experiments (ATLAS and LHCb) based upon expertise developed in those experiments as well as from CDF. We will provide timely first results in Higgs limit setting and discovery for ATLAS, based upon our current expertise. Having secured high-quality completion on CDF, where we set earlier limits in the Higgs analyses, we will ensure that this experience will underpin future ATLAS publications. Based on our earlier work, we will be key players in answering questions concerning the origin of mass and the nature of CP violation. For LHCb, we will discover rare two body B decays, search for CP violation in charm and make precison measurements of CP violaton in the Bs sector with early data samples. In the longer term we will measure the CKM angle gamma from loop-mediated processes which offer significant new physics sensitivity.
We continue to invest in and promote a world-class Detector Development activity to enable longer-term initiatives and our Grid strength is aimed at maximising our impact in LHC physics as well as promoting new areas such as NA62 and the linear collider. We additionally lever support through Scottish Funding Council (SFC) and the College in these areas. We have set up physics analysis streams for ATLAS and LHCb, using the Grid, and will continue to fully exploit the 2011-12 LHC data. We will also maintain our involvement in longer-term initiatives where we have leadership roles. We presently participate in the LHCb upgrade, the ATLAS-FP initiative, the super-LHC intensity upgrades and future neutrino initiatives. We anticipate greater involvement in work, contingent upon discoveries made at the LHC. Over the next three years we will develop these areas and progress those where early investment will become most productive, consistent with the highest priority of LHC physics exploitation.
To enhance the priority programme, we will gain through the second phase of SUPA. This will ensure that we can meet our priorities in silicon detector development via substantial funding in support of the LHC upgrade programme, known as SUPA-LHC. We anticipate investing £800k in equipment, shared equally with the IGR where we gain from joint facilities. This strategy is well suited to the skills and capacity of our core group. We believe the associated additional effort will be essential at a critical point in the evolution of UK particle physics.

Knowledge Exchange (KE) activities have always occupied a crucial place in the strategy of the group. These manifest themselves most obviously in the activities undertaken by Detector Development and the Grid where there is potential for greater industrial engagement. This engagement with KE enables additional funding streams for activities that both deploy technology developed for particle physics and also promote and develop technology and skills that will be required for the design and build of upgrades and future experiments. This leveraged funding benefits all parties involved and especially helps the particle physics agenda through providing measurable impact for societal good - a singularly difficult thing to achieve in the area of blue skies scientific research.

The group has maintained a very high level of KE activity throughout the reporting period and intends to grow this further in the future. The expertise on pixel detectors built up by the group through its long-standing Medipix activity helps us to play a leading role in the move in the UK to become involved in future pixel programs for HEP. This has been recognised through the recent award of a PRD grant for the development of pixel detectors for the LHC.

The Medipix activity provides a bridgehead for the group to create impact through the generation of new ideas and novel methods to measure a variety of phenomena that are of commercial interest. We have just developed a novel technique that has the potential to revolutionise the way that radiopharmaceuticals can be produced - the IP behind these ideas is in the process of being protected by the University.

The detector group has participated in 4 EU framework projects over the last decade and worked with a variety of UK and European industries (e.g. Acreo, Applied Scintillation Technologies, Canberra, Kromek, Oxford Instruments, Photek, Panalytical, SensL and VTT). It has been working on a PIPSS funded project with Kromek (a spin-out from Durham University) to develop wafer scale CZT processes and the company is currently in negotiation with the University to set up an industrially sponsored research centre in the School to carry out research on radiation imaging detector systems that are focused upon more immediate industrial applications.

The GridPP project, led from the University of Glasgow, provides another pathway to impact that has been very successful. Despite a focus on Particle Physics, GridPP also supports many other disciplines and negotiated the donation of ten FDTD Solutions Engine licenses to ScotGrid by Vancouver-based Lumerical Solutions to the benefit of researchers who use our Grid from the field of photonics. GridPP has had close relationships with several large computer manufactures such as IBM, SuperMicro, and more recently DELL computers, which has included testing new prototype products (lately, Interlargos-based PC's) and new technologies (SSDs and GPUs) in real-life environments. Beyond wealth-creation, GridPP has had impact on "Quality of Life" issues by supporting biomedical research VO searches for new drugs against diseases such as avian flu and malaria.

A further strand of our impact activities is our extensive work to inspire the public about particle physics and raise awareness of STFC science. We have been developing close links with Scottish physics teachers, providing CPD through the IOP Scottish network and consulting for the Scottish Government agency Education Scotland. Over the last three years, four hundred school pupils have visited the group for the Particle Physics Masterclass, and in 2011 we raised external funding to send ten pupils from areas identified by the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation as having low opportunities to CERN for three days, providing an experience that has the potential to be life-changing.