QMUL Experimental Particle Physics Consolidated Grant 2012-2016
Lead Research Organisation:
Queen Mary University of London
Department Name: Physics
Abstract
The QMUL Experimental Particle Physics Group has an exciting set of particle physics experiments at the forefront of the field. Members of the Group have been working on the commissioning and analysis of data from the ATLAS detector at the CERN LHC which has just finished its first full year of data taking from which over a 100 papers have been published. The ATLAS Group will continue the study of the top quark, started at the CDF experiment, at the LHC and the expertise gained will allow us to probe for new physics such as the discovery of the Higgs particle or Supersymmetry. We will also continue our study of proton structure at the highest possible energies. The QMUL Group is also involved in upgrades to the ATLAS detector for the higher luminosity by participating in the ATLAS Tracker Upgrade Level One Calorimeter Trigger upgrade programmes. At the other end of the mass scale the neutrino group is exploiting data from the T2K long baseline neutrino experiment in Japan which will continue the investigations of the recently discovered neutrino oscillations and participating in the rich programme at the SNO+ detector in Canada. In addition the Group is at the forefront of preparations for the SuperB collider project and will look to exploit new opportunities, such Dark Matter searches or Linear Colliders when they become available.
Planned Impact
The research of the QMUL Particle Physics group is primarily experimental particle physics aimed at understanding the fundamental constituents of the universe and the forces they interact through. This research is currently centred on the ATLAS experiment at the CERN Large Hadron Collider whose primary aim is an understanding of the origin of mass in the universe, and the T2K experiment in Japan which studies neutrino interactions with the ultimate aim of understanding the matter-antimatter imbalance in the universe. The research will directly lead to increased scientific and public knowledge and awareness.
Schools and members of the public will benefit from articles, talks, workshops, masterclasses based on the ATLAS and T2K experiments and on the exciting new results from this research. Business, industry and other scientific disciplines will benefit from spin-off activities related to the ongoing R&D for future upgrades to ATLAS and T2K and new experiments and from partnerships exploiting the Grid computing facilities that we have developed to analyse the massive amounts of data generated by the research.
Schools and members of the public will benefit from articles, talks, workshops, masterclasses based on the ATLAS and T2K experiments and on the exciting new results from this research. Business, industry and other scientific disciplines will benefit from spin-off activities related to the ongoing R&D for future upgrades to ATLAS and T2K and new experiments and from partnerships exploiting the Grid computing facilities that we have developed to analyse the massive amounts of data generated by the research.
Organisations
- Queen Mary University of London (Lead Research Organisation)
- QUEEN MARY UNIVERSITY OF LONDON (Collaboration)
- European Grid Infrastructure (EGI) (Collaboration)
- GridPP Collaboration (Collaboration)
- UTFit Collaboration (Collaboration)
- Atomic Weapons Establishment (Collaboration)
- Super-Kamiokande (Collaboration)
- European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) (Collaboration)
- Micron Semiconductor (Collaboration)
Publications
ATLAS Collaboration
(2013)
Improved luminosity determination in pp collisions at [Formula: see text] using the ATLAS detector at the LHC.
in The European physical journal. C, Particles and fields
Atlas Collaboration
(2016)
Search for an additional, heavy Higgs boson in the [Formula: see text] decay channel at [Formula: see text] in [Formula: see text] collision data with the ATLAS detector.
in The European physical journal. C, Particles and fields
ATLAS Collaboration
(2014)
A measurement of the ratio of the production cross sections for [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] bosons in association with jets with the ATLAS detector.
in The European physical journal. C, Particles and fields
ATLAS Collaboration
(2012)
A particle consistent with the Higgs boson observed with the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider.
in Science (New York, N.Y.)
ATLAS Collaboration
(2015)
Measurement of three-jet production cross-sections in [Formula: see text] collisions at 7 [Formula: see text] centre-of-mass energy using the ATLAS detector.
in The European physical journal. C, Particles and fields
ATLAS Collaboration
(2014)
Measurement of the centrality and pseudorapidity dependence of the integrated elliptic flow in lead-lead collisions at [Formula: see text] TeV with the ATLAS detector.
in The European physical journal. C, Particles and fields
ATLAS Collaboration
(2015)
Search for [Formula: see text] decays in [Formula: see text] collisions at [Formula: see text] = 8 TeV with the ATLAS detector.
in The European physical journal. C, Particles and fields
ATLAS Collaboration
(2012)
A search for [Formula: see text] resonances with the ATLAS detector in 2.05 fb-1 of proton-proton collisions at [Formula: see text].
in The European physical journal. C, Particles and fields
ATLAS Collaboration
(2015)
Measurement of the top quark mass in the [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] channels using [Formula: see text] [Formula: see text] ATLAS data.
in The European physical journal. C, Particles and fields
ATLAS Collaboration
(2012)
Measurement of the top quark mass with the template method in the [Formula: see text] channel using ATLAS data.
in The European physical journal. C, Particles and fields
| Description | There are two major research results: - discovery of the Higgs boson - first observation of the neutrino appearance channel Apart from extending the general knowledge, there are a few specific outcomes: using the data analyses techniques in other areas like medical areas (big data), outreach and using lego to promote particle physics, development of high performance Grid, etc. |
| Exploitation Route | There is a clear academic output from all the research generated that will affect the next generation of particle physics experiments. Moreover, our big data analysis can be used in many fields eg medical science. The usage of high power machines helps the development of more high power machines. The outreach based on our reach can help student recruitment and generally increase the students studying physics. |
| Sectors | Digital/Communication/Information Technologies (including Software),Healthcare,Other |
| URL | http://pprc.qmul.ac.uk/ |
| Description | Increasing general scientific standing of the UK community, increasing the interdisciplinary link with medical science and improving their analysis results, computing technology. |
| First Year Of Impact | 2014 |
| Sector | Digital/Communication/Information Technologies (including Software),Healthcare |
| Impact Types | Societal |
| Description | ALICE Upgrade and JLab oversight committee |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Policy Influence Type | Participation in a guidance/advisory committee |
| Description | Chair of the LHCb Upgrade Oversight Committee |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Policy Influence Type | Participation in a guidance/advisory committee |
| Description | LHCb Upgrade Oversight Committee |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Policy Influence Type | Participation in a guidance/advisory committee |
| Description | Participation in the PPRP: Project Peer Review Panel |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Policy Influence Type | Participation in a guidance/advisory committee |
| Description | ATLAS |
| Organisation | European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) |
| Department | CERN LHC ATLAS |
| Country | Switzerland |
| Sector | Public |
| PI Contribution | Tracking R&D and construction, software, distributed computing systems, detector operations, trigger performance and design, Standard Model, B-physics, Onium, Higgs, Top and SUSY studies; ran UK software and computing |
| Collaborator Contribution | Detector operations, computing operations, software, shared physics tools |
| Impact | currently O(200) papers in press (Feb 2013) |
| Description | ATLAS Collaboration |
| Organisation | European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) |
| Country | Switzerland |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | The ATLAS Collaboration at CERN, including R&D toward upgrades of the CERN LHC Facility |
| Collaborator Contribution | International laboratory hosting an experiment |
| Impact | These include the discovery of the Higgs boson, many publications and preliminary results, machine learning technology integrated into teaching resources for undergraduate and graduate students. |
| Description | ATLAS ITK |
| Organisation | European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) |
| Department | CERN LHC ATLAS |
| Country | Switzerland |
| Sector | Public |
| PI Contribution | Chair of the Institute Board with 100 international members |
| Collaborator Contribution | International programme on Tracker Upgrade with 100 institutes from 22 countries working towards the 120MCHF (equipment costs only does not include salaries) main upgrade programme of ATLAS for the HL-LHC |
| Impact | Particle Physics |
| Start Year | 2017 |
| Description | ATLAS Upgrade |
| Organisation | European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) |
| Department | CERN LHC ATLAS |
| Country | Switzerland |
| Sector | Public |
| PI Contribution | 2011-2015 ATLAS Upgrade Coordinator 2011-2015 Member ATLAS Executive Board |
| Collaborator Contribution | ATLAS consists of 3000 physicists from 177 institutes in 35 countries |
| Impact | CERN-LHCC-2011-012, CERN-LHCC-2012-022, CERN-LHCC-2013-006, CERN-LHCC-2013-007, CERN-LHCC-2013-017, CERN-LHCC-2013-018, CERN-LHCC-2015-009, ECFA-15-289 and ECFA-13-284. |
| Start Year | 2011 |
| Description | AWE Ltd |
| Organisation | Atomic Weapons Establishment |
| Department | National Nuclear Security Programme |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Public |
| PI Contribution | Working on the development of a novel neutron detector. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Partners have funded the development of device readout and simulation. This underpins technology refinements that have accelerated technology development. |
| Impact | Outputs are being finalised in terms of publications and IP protection. |
| Start Year | 2015 |
| Description | CCMMP |
| Organisation | Queen Mary University of London |
| Department | Condensed Matter and Material Physics |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Working with a CMMP PhD student on studies on novel radiation detector devices. |
| Collaborator Contribution | PhD student and labs |
| Impact | Studying prototype for novel radiation detector devices. It may bring impact. |
| Start Year | 2015 |
| Description | GridPP |
| Organisation | European Grid Infrastructure (EGI) |
| Country | Netherlands |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| PI Contribution | Middleware, hardware, operations; ATLAS Member of the PMB, formerly Applications Co-ordinator, Deputy Chair of Users Board. Provide Deployment Team member. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Middleware, operations, co-ordination |
| Impact | some papers, enabled many physics papers. |
| Description | GridPP |
| Organisation | GridPP Collaboration |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Learned Society |
| PI Contribution | Operation of a Grid cluster with significant resources to support the LHC computing requirements |
| Collaborator Contribution | Provided computing resource that underpins many of the analysis results listed under the publications for this award. |
| Impact | See publications |
| Description | GridPP |
| Organisation | Queen Mary University of London |
| Department | GRIDPP3 |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Middleware, hardware, operations; ATLAS Member of the PMB, formerly Applications Co-ordinator, Deputy Chair of Users Board. Provide Deployment Team member. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Middleware, operations, co-ordination |
| Impact | some papers, enabled many physics papers. |
| Description | MSL thin silicon development work |
| Organisation | Micron Semiconductor |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | Worked with MSL to obtain thin silicon detectors for generic R&D as a follow on/parallel line to the ATLAS detector development work. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Partners worked on modifying their production process to adapt a product line for our requiremetns for a new R&D line in thin devices. This required an in-kind contribution from the partner company. |
| Impact | work is ongoing. |
| Start Year | 2017 |
| Description | Super-Kamiokande |
| Organisation | Super-Kamiokande |
| Country | Japan |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| PI Contribution | We have joined in January 2016. We are working on a calibration system for neutron. We have taken shifts. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Expertise in calibration. Detection of low background in gadolinium samples. |
| Impact | This collaboration has just started |
| Start Year | 2016 |
| Description | UTFit |
| Organisation | UTFit Collaboration |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Performing averages. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Thereotical code |
| Impact | papers and conference talks: http://www.utfit.org/UTfit/References The fit is consistently used by the experimental collaborations and theorists. |
| Description | Talks at Open Days |
| 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 | Engaging school students to study physics at the univerdity |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2012,2013,2014,2015,2016,2017,2018 |
| Description | Talks at School |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Schools |
| Results and Impact | Engaging students in physics |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2012,2013,2014,2015,2016,2017,2018 |
| Description | Talks in science festivals |
| 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 | Talks given to general audience to make physics more understandable to general public |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2012,2013,2014,2015,2016,2017,2018 |