Particle Physics Consolidated Grant from the University of Sheffield - ATLAS, ATLAS upgrade, T2K, FNE, MICE, EDELWEISS/EURECA, DMGS, SNO+, R&D, KE
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Sheffield
Department Name: Physics and Astronomy
Abstract
We are living in an exceptional age for discoveries in particle physics and particle astrophysics with potential for producing step changes in understanding of the composition of matter and the structure of the Universe. The research we plan with this consolidated grant in particle physics and particle astrophysics at Sheffield is at the core of these discoveries. Firstly, we appear to be near answering the fundamental question of what gives particles mass. In this field Sheffield will continue to play a leading role in the ATLAS experiment that now looks to be on the verge of solving the mystery by detecting the famous Higgs Boson. Our ATLAS work, where we are currently the only UK group heavily involved in the flagship 4-lepton channel Higgs search, will aim to confirm the first evidence for excess reported in Dec. 2011. Simultaneously work will continue in the equally fundamental hunt to find supersymmetric particles and on radiation modeling and detector tests for the ATLAS upgrade anticipated as the next experiment. We currently provide the UK spokesman for ATLAS.
A second recent major advance, made by the T2K experiment in 2011, reports evidence for a non-zero third neutrino mixing angle. This potentially unlocks progress to experiments in so-called charge-parity (CP) violation to answer the mystery of why the Universe contains matter and virtually no anti-matter. Our T2K and neutrino group will focus on contributing further analysis to confirm the new results but also, using our membership of the LBNO and LBNE collaborations, progress key new detector technology towards a next generation long baseline neutrino experiment to see CP violation. For this our focus will be with liquid argon technology, our pioneering work on electroluminescence light readout for that, and our simulation work on backgrounds from muons. The latter is key also to our on-going work towards an experiment to see if the proton decays, an issue at the core of understanding Grand Unified Theories of physics. Closely related and vital for our neutrino programme is continued participation in SNO+, aimed at understanding solar neutrinos, and the MICE experiment with its related R&D on high power particle beam targets for future neutrino beams.
Technological developments recently led to significant improvement in sensitivity of detectors to WIMP dark matter with key contributions from the Sheffield group towards EDELWEISS and DRIFT. Exploiting our leadership in background mitigation strategy, calibration and data analysis, our future work will concentrate on EDELWEISS operation and data analysis, as well as on developments towards ton-scale cryogenic experiment EURECA. The group is also uniquely well positioned to contribute through new work aiming to see, or exclude, a definitive galactic signature for the claimed low mass WIMP events. Our pioneering work on directional WIMP detectors will see a new experiment installed at the UK's Boulby underground site, DRIFTIIe, while our continued analysis of data from DM-ICE17 at the Antarctic South Pole, for which we supplied the NaI detectors, will seek an annual modulation galactic signature and inform design of a new experiment there planned for 2013.
Our generic detector R&D is vital to underpinning the group, closely related to a vigorous knowledge exchange programme that now includes funded projects involving 15 different companies. Highlight activity here will include development of particle tracking technology in liquid argon relevant to neutrino physics and astrophysics, new gas-based directional neutron programmes with relevance for homeland security, and new muon veto R&D. The latter links to our KE programme on CO2 underground storage technology. We plan first deployment of test detectors at 760m depth by 2013. This is part of the group's contribution to key social agendas in climate change and crime prevention.
A second recent major advance, made by the T2K experiment in 2011, reports evidence for a non-zero third neutrino mixing angle. This potentially unlocks progress to experiments in so-called charge-parity (CP) violation to answer the mystery of why the Universe contains matter and virtually no anti-matter. Our T2K and neutrino group will focus on contributing further analysis to confirm the new results but also, using our membership of the LBNO and LBNE collaborations, progress key new detector technology towards a next generation long baseline neutrino experiment to see CP violation. For this our focus will be with liquid argon technology, our pioneering work on electroluminescence light readout for that, and our simulation work on backgrounds from muons. The latter is key also to our on-going work towards an experiment to see if the proton decays, an issue at the core of understanding Grand Unified Theories of physics. Closely related and vital for our neutrino programme is continued participation in SNO+, aimed at understanding solar neutrinos, and the MICE experiment with its related R&D on high power particle beam targets for future neutrino beams.
Technological developments recently led to significant improvement in sensitivity of detectors to WIMP dark matter with key contributions from the Sheffield group towards EDELWEISS and DRIFT. Exploiting our leadership in background mitigation strategy, calibration and data analysis, our future work will concentrate on EDELWEISS operation and data analysis, as well as on developments towards ton-scale cryogenic experiment EURECA. The group is also uniquely well positioned to contribute through new work aiming to see, or exclude, a definitive galactic signature for the claimed low mass WIMP events. Our pioneering work on directional WIMP detectors will see a new experiment installed at the UK's Boulby underground site, DRIFTIIe, while our continued analysis of data from DM-ICE17 at the Antarctic South Pole, for which we supplied the NaI detectors, will seek an annual modulation galactic signature and inform design of a new experiment there planned for 2013.
Our generic detector R&D is vital to underpinning the group, closely related to a vigorous knowledge exchange programme that now includes funded projects involving 15 different companies. Highlight activity here will include development of particle tracking technology in liquid argon relevant to neutrino physics and astrophysics, new gas-based directional neutron programmes with relevance for homeland security, and new muon veto R&D. The latter links to our KE programme on CO2 underground storage technology. We plan first deployment of test detectors at 760m depth by 2013. This is part of the group's contribution to key social agendas in climate change and crime prevention.
Planned Impact
The Sheffield group has a strong record of outside impact through KE activity that since 2009 has roughly tripled to include funded projects with government, industry or medical priority areas, particularly in energy and environment. Currently 15 UK companies are involved, with other activity across several non-physics departments, other Universities and government organisations. Notable are:
A major new funded programme on application of particle physics muon detector technology to carbon capture and sequestration (CCS). We are leading with Sheffield departments in geo-mechanics, engineering and law, in cooperation with Durham University and Petrofac Ltd., CO2DeepStore Ltd. and National Grid Carbon, a programme to develop deep bore hole muon tomography to monitor underground stored CO2. This has potential huge impact in the multi billion CCS industry.
A strong effort to spin out dark matter work into sensitive fast neutron detection for homeland security and crime prevention includes: a major funded programme to produce large area (m2) next generation scintillator portal monitors for airborne cargo; a project developing neutron activation for detection of explosives; a project building hand-held neutron detectors for in-field monitoring of nuclear material and dirty bombs; a project to use cosmic rays in nuclear security; a project with Leverhulme, through the DRIFT DM programme, to build a gas-based directional fast neutron detector for security. These activities have potentially huge impact in the multi-billion security industry.
New work for the medical industry has started with funded programmes spun out from T2K work with LabLogistic Ltd. and Southern Scientific Ltd. to develop new liquid scintillator and photo-sensor technology for in-blood tissue diagnostics, and a new programme with the Hallamshire Hospital to spin out our noise extraction data analysis techniques, developed in gravitational wave research (LIGO), for application to brain wave analysis.
Our long-standing cooperation with Cleveland Potash Ltd. (CPL) has aided development of the deep underground Palmer laboratory into a new interdisciplinary low background E-futures laboratory. Here we have projects developing radio-assay and climate change including the SKY-II project to study cosmic ray effects on climate change. There is impact across non-physics projects including biology and underground science and to provide the UK with a world-class facility.
Linked to FNE we have a new programme with Alan Auld Engineering Ltd. to produce new rock engineering simulations transferred via joint supervision of undergraduate and PhD students. They received £350K EU funding as a direct result of our collaboration and also now sponsor a PhD student with us. Linked here is work also with Rhyal Engineering Ltd. for their expertise building massive tanks aiming to expand expertise and promote greater presence in European markets and with Technodyne Ltd. joint work on new cryogenic liquid pumps that can impact their market in LPG tank design.
A major new success is a funded industrial programme to spin out our expertise from ATLAS engineering into the aerospace industry with VCB Group Ltd. This will allow creation of a prototype based on an existing high performance welding system. The principle objective is to transfer an advanced technique developed for automatic joining of ultra thin wall aerospace based metal alloy tube to the VBC group, a UK based SME.
Finally, from our liquid argon work and generic detector R&D there are many worldwide, multi-disciplinary motivations to develop generic cheap liquid argon technology. Specifically we work with Electron Tubes Ltd. and Sensl Ltd. regarding SiPMTs, PMT and associated apparatus. Results of our tests of Sensl SiMPTs already feature in their marketing materials. Involvement with e2V Technologies Ltd. is also ongoing due to their need to develop new CCDs for cryogenic applications.
A major new funded programme on application of particle physics muon detector technology to carbon capture and sequestration (CCS). We are leading with Sheffield departments in geo-mechanics, engineering and law, in cooperation with Durham University and Petrofac Ltd., CO2DeepStore Ltd. and National Grid Carbon, a programme to develop deep bore hole muon tomography to monitor underground stored CO2. This has potential huge impact in the multi billion CCS industry.
A strong effort to spin out dark matter work into sensitive fast neutron detection for homeland security and crime prevention includes: a major funded programme to produce large area (m2) next generation scintillator portal monitors for airborne cargo; a project developing neutron activation for detection of explosives; a project building hand-held neutron detectors for in-field monitoring of nuclear material and dirty bombs; a project to use cosmic rays in nuclear security; a project with Leverhulme, through the DRIFT DM programme, to build a gas-based directional fast neutron detector for security. These activities have potentially huge impact in the multi-billion security industry.
New work for the medical industry has started with funded programmes spun out from T2K work with LabLogistic Ltd. and Southern Scientific Ltd. to develop new liquid scintillator and photo-sensor technology for in-blood tissue diagnostics, and a new programme with the Hallamshire Hospital to spin out our noise extraction data analysis techniques, developed in gravitational wave research (LIGO), for application to brain wave analysis.
Our long-standing cooperation with Cleveland Potash Ltd. (CPL) has aided development of the deep underground Palmer laboratory into a new interdisciplinary low background E-futures laboratory. Here we have projects developing radio-assay and climate change including the SKY-II project to study cosmic ray effects on climate change. There is impact across non-physics projects including biology and underground science and to provide the UK with a world-class facility.
Linked to FNE we have a new programme with Alan Auld Engineering Ltd. to produce new rock engineering simulations transferred via joint supervision of undergraduate and PhD students. They received £350K EU funding as a direct result of our collaboration and also now sponsor a PhD student with us. Linked here is work also with Rhyal Engineering Ltd. for their expertise building massive tanks aiming to expand expertise and promote greater presence in European markets and with Technodyne Ltd. joint work on new cryogenic liquid pumps that can impact their market in LPG tank design.
A major new success is a funded industrial programme to spin out our expertise from ATLAS engineering into the aerospace industry with VCB Group Ltd. This will allow creation of a prototype based on an existing high performance welding system. The principle objective is to transfer an advanced technique developed for automatic joining of ultra thin wall aerospace based metal alloy tube to the VBC group, a UK based SME.
Finally, from our liquid argon work and generic detector R&D there are many worldwide, multi-disciplinary motivations to develop generic cheap liquid argon technology. Specifically we work with Electron Tubes Ltd. and Sensl Ltd. regarding SiPMTs, PMT and associated apparatus. Results of our tests of Sensl SiMPTs already feature in their marketing materials. Involvement with e2V Technologies Ltd. is also ongoing due to their need to develop new CCDs for cryogenic applications.
Organisations
- University of Sheffield (Lead Research Organisation)
- University of Warwick (Collaboration)
- Department of Energy and Climate Change (Collaboration)
- International MICE Collaboration (Collaboration)
- Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (Collaboration)
- UNIVERSITY OF EDINBURGH (Collaboration)
- ATLAS Experiment (Collaboration)
- DURHAM UNIVERSITY (Collaboration)
- University of Bath (Collaboration)
- Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA) (Collaboration)
- Saclay Nuclear Research Centre (Collaboration)
- UNIVERSITY OF LIVERPOOL (Collaboration)
- University College London (Collaboration)
- IMPERIAL COLLEGE LONDON (Collaboration)
- UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD (Collaboration)
- National Center for Scientific Research (Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique CNRS) (Collaboration)
- Rutherford Appleton Laboratory (Collaboration)
- T2K Collaboration (Collaboration)
- Science and Technologies Facilities Council (STFC) (Collaboration)
- Premier Oil (Collaboration)
- VBC Group (United Kingdom) (Project Partner)
- Qinetiq (United Kingdom) (Project Partner)
- Technodyne International (United Kingdom) (Project Partner)
- National Instruments (United Kingdom) (Project Partner)
- Teledyne e2v (United Kingdom) (Project Partner)
- Lablogic Systems (United Kingdom) (Project Partner)
- High Tech Tubes Ltd. (Project Partner)
- ET Enterprises (United Kingdom) (Project Partner)
- Swagelok London (Project Partner)
- Rhyal Engineering Ltd (Project Partner)
- Alan Auld Group Ltd (Project Partner)
Publications
100 Collaboration
(2021)
Three-year annual modulation search with COSINE-100
100 Collaboration
(2020)
Measurement of the cosmic muon annual and diurnal flux variation with the COSINE-100 detector
100 Collaboration
(2019)
COSINE-100 and DAMA/LIBRA-phase2 in WIMP effective models
100 Collaboration
(2019)
Search for a Dark Matter-Induced Annual Modulation Signal in NaI(Tl) with the COSINE-100 Experiment
A A10 - Abdinov A11 - O A12 - Abi A13 - B A14 - Abolins A15 - M A16 - AbouZeid A17 - OS A18 - Abramowicz A19 - H A20 - Abreu A21 - H A22 - Acerbi A23 - E A24 - Acharya A25 - BS A26 - Adam A27 - E A28 - Adamczyk A29 - L A30 - Adams A31 - DL A32 - Addy A33 - TN A34 - Adelman A35 - J A36 - Aderholz A37 - M A38 - Adomeit A39 - S A40 - Adragna A41 - P A42 - Adye A43 - T A44 - Aefsky A45 - S A46 - Aguilar-Saa
Search for resonant WZ production in the WZ -> lvl ' l ' channel in root(s)=7 TeV pp collisions with the ATLAS detector
A A10 - Abdinov A11 - O A12 - Abi A13 - B A14 - Abolins A15 - M A16 - AbouZeid A17 - OS A18 - Abramowicz A19 - H A20 - Abreu A21 - H A22 - Acerbi A23 - E A24 - Acharya A25 - BS A26 - Adam A27 - ER A28 - Adamczyk A29 - L A30 - Adams A31 - DL A32 - Addy A33 - TN A34 - Adelman A35 - J A36 - Aderholz A37 - M A38 - Adomeit A39 - S A40 - Adragna A41 - P A42 - Adye A43 - T A44 - Aefsky A45 - S A46 - Aguilar-Sa
Search for Pair Production of a New b ' Quark that Decays into a Z Boson and a Bottom Quark with the ATLAS Detector
Aad G
(2012)
Measurement of the isolated diphoton cross section in p p collisions at s = 7 TeV with the ATLAS detector
in Physical Review D
Aad G
(2012)
Search for contact interactions in dilepton events from pp collisions at s = 7 TeV with the ATLAS detector
in Physics Letters B
Aad G
(2012)
Search for top and bottom squarks from gluino pair production in final states with missing transverse energy and at least three b-jets with the ATLAS detector
in The European Physical Journal C
Description | new accelerator target technology |
Exploitation Route | improved neutrino beams |
Sectors | Electronics Energy |
Description | Consolidated Grant |
Amount | ÂŁ100,000 (GBP) |
Funding ID | ST/N000277/1, only the fraction of the grant relevant to the LZ commissioning and exploitation is indicated in the cost |
Organisation | Science and Technologies Facilities Council (STFC) |
Sector | Public |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 03/2018 |
End | 09/2019 |
Description | Muon tomography of volcanoes in South America |
Amount | ÂŁ99,917 (GBP) |
Funding ID | ST/R002606/1 |
Organisation | Science and Technologies Facilities Council (STFC) |
Sector | Public |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 03/2018 |
End | 03/2019 |
Description | Particle Physics Consolidated Grant from the University of Sheffield - ATLAS, ATLAS upgrade, T2K, LBNE/F, Hyper-K, MICE, LZ, DMGS, DRIFT, R&D, KE |
Amount | ÂŁ2,788,504 (GBP) |
Funding ID | ST/N000277/1 |
Organisation | Science and Technologies Facilities Council (STFC) |
Sector | Public |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 09/2015 |
End | 09/2019 |
Description | The LUX-ZEPLIN (LZ) Dark Matter Search |
Amount | ÂŁ203,684 (GBP) |
Funding ID | ST/M003469/1 |
Organisation | Science and Technologies Facilities Council (STFC) |
Sector | Public |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 03/2015 |
End | 03/2019 |
Title | Method of modelling muon transport through complex geological structures |
Description | We have developed a new method of producing computer model of a geological structure that can be interfaced with the particle transport code used in particle physics, Geant4. The method allowed us to simulate muon transport down to and through a geological structure. The method was validated for a specific type of a geological repository. |
Type Of Material | Improvements to research infrastructure |
Year Produced | 2016 |
Provided To Others? | Yes |
Impact | Simulation of muon transport through a geological repository - potential site of carbon dioxide storage. Development of the muon tomography technique. |
Description | ATLAS |
Organisation | ATLAS Experiment |
Country | Switzerland |
Sector | Public |
PI Contribution | SCT detector system development, monitoring and running. ATLAS supersymmetry searches and trigger development. Contributions to SUSY 0-lepton analysis. |
Collaborator Contribution | Provision of ATLAS detector and research environment see http://atlas.ch |
Impact | Scientific papers as reported elsewhere. |
Description | EDELWEISS |
Organisation | Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA) |
Department | Institute of Research into the Fundamental Laws of the Universe (IRFU) |
Country | France |
Sector | Public |
PI Contribution | Monte Carlo modelling of radioactive background, leading the work package on background studies. |
Collaborator Contribution | Joint work on EDELWEISS-II experiment |
Impact | One paper has been submitted to Physics Letter B, two more papers are in preparation |
Start Year | 2010 |
Description | EDELWEISS |
Organisation | Karlsruhe Institute of Technology |
Country | Germany |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | Monte Carlo modelling of radioactive background, leading the work package on background studies. |
Collaborator Contribution | Joint work on EDELWEISS-II experiment |
Impact | One paper has been submitted to Physics Letter B, two more papers are in preparation |
Start Year | 2010 |
Description | EDELWEISS |
Organisation | National Center for Scientific Research (Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique CNRS) |
Department | IN2P3-Lyon |
Country | France |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | Monte Carlo modelling of radioactive background, leading the work package on background studies. |
Collaborator Contribution | Joint work on EDELWEISS-II experiment |
Impact | One paper has been submitted to Physics Letter B, two more papers are in preparation |
Start Year | 2010 |
Description | EDELWEISS |
Organisation | University of Oxford |
Department | Particle Physics |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | Monte Carlo modelling of radioactive background, leading the work package on background studies. |
Collaborator Contribution | Joint work on EDELWEISS-II experiment |
Impact | One paper has been submitted to Physics Letter B, two more papers are in preparation |
Start Year | 2010 |
Description | EURECA |
Organisation | Karlsruhe Institute of Technology |
Country | Germany |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | Scientific collaboration to design, build and operate a tonne-scale cryogenic experiment |
Collaborator Contribution | Scientific collaboration to design, build and operate a tonne-scale cryogenic experiment |
Impact | Scientific publications, software development. |
Start Year | 2006 |
Description | EURECA |
Organisation | National Center for Scientific Research (Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique CNRS) |
Department | Centre for Nuclear Sciences and Material Sciences (CSNSM) |
Country | France |
Sector | Public |
PI Contribution | Scientific collaboration to design, build and operate a tonne-scale cryogenic experiment |
Collaborator Contribution | Scientific collaboration to design, build and operate a tonne-scale cryogenic experiment |
Impact | Scientific publications, software development. |
Start Year | 2006 |
Description | EURECA |
Organisation | National Center for Scientific Research (Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique CNRS) |
Department | IN2P3-Lyon |
Country | France |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | Scientific collaboration to design, build and operate a tonne-scale cryogenic experiment |
Collaborator Contribution | Scientific collaboration to design, build and operate a tonne-scale cryogenic experiment |
Impact | Scientific publications, software development. |
Start Year | 2006 |
Description | EURECA |
Organisation | Saclay Nuclear Research Centre |
Country | France |
Sector | Public |
PI Contribution | Scientific collaboration to design, build and operate a tonne-scale cryogenic experiment |
Collaborator Contribution | Scientific collaboration to design, build and operate a tonne-scale cryogenic experiment |
Impact | Scientific publications, software development. |
Start Year | 2006 |
Description | EURECA |
Organisation | University of Oxford |
Department | Department of Physics |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | Scientific collaboration to design, build and operate a tonne-scale cryogenic experiment |
Collaborator Contribution | Scientific collaboration to design, build and operate a tonne-scale cryogenic experiment |
Impact | Scientific publications, software development. |
Start Year | 2006 |
Description | LZ |
Organisation | Imperial College London |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | Working together on the design and future construction of the LZ detector |
Collaborator Contribution | Working together on the design and future construction of the LZ detector |
Impact | LZ Conceptual Design Report, LZ Technical Design Report, LZ detector |
Start Year | 2013 |
Description | LZ |
Organisation | Rutherford Appleton Laboratory |
Department | Particle Physics Department |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Public |
PI Contribution | Working together on the design and future construction of the LZ detector |
Collaborator Contribution | Working together on the design and future construction of the LZ detector |
Impact | LZ Conceptual Design Report, LZ Technical Design Report, LZ detector |
Start Year | 2013 |
Description | LZ |
Organisation | University College London |
Department | Department of Physics & Astronomy |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | Working together on the design and future construction of the LZ detector |
Collaborator Contribution | Working together on the design and future construction of the LZ detector |
Impact | LZ Conceptual Design Report, LZ Technical Design Report, LZ detector |
Start Year | 2013 |
Description | LZ |
Organisation | University of Edinburgh |
Department | School of Physics and Astronomy |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | Working together on the design and future construction of the LZ detector |
Collaborator Contribution | Working together on the design and future construction of the LZ detector |
Impact | LZ Conceptual Design Report, LZ Technical Design Report, LZ detector |
Start Year | 2013 |
Description | LZ |
Organisation | University of Liverpool |
Department | Department of Physics |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | Working together on the design and future construction of the LZ detector |
Collaborator Contribution | Working together on the design and future construction of the LZ detector |
Impact | LZ Conceptual Design Report, LZ Technical Design Report, LZ detector |
Start Year | 2013 |
Description | LZ |
Organisation | University of Oxford |
Department | Department of Physics |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | Working together on the design and future construction of the LZ detector |
Collaborator Contribution | Working together on the design and future construction of the LZ detector |
Impact | LZ Conceptual Design Report, LZ Technical Design Report, LZ detector |
Start Year | 2013 |
Description | MICE |
Organisation | International MICE Collaboration |
Country | Global |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | Design, construction, maintenance and operation of target drive. Periods as Operations Manager on site; running experimental shifts; providing on-call experts, etc. Monitoring of experimental conditions; analysis of data. Magnetic modelling and shielding calculations. Field mapping studies. Calibration system for fibre tracker. Collaboration Board secretary and Chair. Member of Executive Board. Integration Scientist; Detector Coordinator. Duty coordinator. |
Collaborator Contribution | Joint construction of apparatus; sharing in running shifts; joint analysis of data. Provision of other parts of the experiment. |
Impact | Working target drive for generation of muons. Operational beam-line for measurement of muon cooling. Journal publications and conference talks. |
Description | Muon tomography for carbon storage monitoring |
Organisation | Department of Energy and Climate Change |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Public |
PI Contribution | Designing and constructing detector prototype, modelling muon transport and detection |
Collaborator Contribution | Modelling geological repositories, financial contribution of DECC and Premier Oil |
Impact | Talks at meetings and conferences, applications to funding |
Start Year | 2012 |
Description | Muon tomography for carbon storage monitoring |
Organisation | Durham University |
Department | Department of Earth Sciences |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | Designing and constructing detector prototype, modelling muon transport and detection |
Collaborator Contribution | Modelling geological repositories, financial contribution of DECC and Premier Oil |
Impact | Talks at meetings and conferences, applications to funding |
Start Year | 2012 |
Description | Muon tomography for carbon storage monitoring |
Organisation | Premier Oil |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Private |
PI Contribution | Designing and constructing detector prototype, modelling muon transport and detection |
Collaborator Contribution | Modelling geological repositories, financial contribution of DECC and Premier Oil |
Impact | Talks at meetings and conferences, applications to funding |
Start Year | 2012 |
Description | Muon tomography for carbon storage monitoring |
Organisation | University of Bath |
Department | Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | Designing and constructing detector prototype, modelling muon transport and detection |
Collaborator Contribution | Modelling geological repositories, financial contribution of DECC and Premier Oil |
Impact | Talks at meetings and conferences, applications to funding |
Start Year | 2012 |
Description | PASI |
Organisation | Science and Technologies Facilities Council (STFC) |
Department | ISIS Neutron and Muon Source |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | Calculations and modelling of neutron production, cooling and activation of components. |
Collaborator Contribution | Design studies for target station upgrades. Benchmark calculations. |
Impact | Contributions to ISIS target upgrade programme. |
Start Year | 2012 |
Description | T2K |
Organisation | T2K Collaboration |
Country | Global |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | Quality assurance/acceptance tests on ECAL scintillators; construction of light injection (LI) system; installation of LI in ECAL modules built at Lancaster, Liverpool, Warwick, & Daresbury; analysis of LI test data; commisioning of LI system on installation of ECAL at Tokai. |
Collaborator Contribution | Construction of apparatus, commissioning, operations, data analysis |
Impact | LI system will have impact on performance of ECAL and therefore on quality of physics from T2K. |
Start Year | 2009 |
Description | UK Neutrino factory target |
Organisation | Rutherford Appleton Laboratory |
Department | Particle Physics Department |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Public |
PI Contribution | Intellectual input; management of experimental work; simulation studies; analysis of data |
Collaborator Contribution | Simulation studies |
Impact | Publications on high temperature transient properties of tungsten and tantalum |
Description | UK Neutrino factory target |
Organisation | University of Warwick |
Department | Department of Physics |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | Intellectual input; management of experimental work; simulation studies; analysis of data |
Collaborator Contribution | Simulation studies |
Impact | Publications on high temperature transient properties of tungsten and tantalum |
Title | Modified SOURCES4 code |
Description | The original code SOURCES4 developed at LANL (USA) has been modified to allow more accurate calculation of neutron yield in (alpha, n) reactions on a large number of isotopes relevant to material construction for rare event experiments. |
Type Of Technology | Software |
Year Produced | 2014 |
Impact | The code is now widely used by physicists working with underground experiments for rare event searches. |
Description | AAAS Talk |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | Yes |
Type Of Presentation | Keynote/Invited Speaker |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
Results and Impact | 120 journalists attended Interview for Radio 4 today programme |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2013 |
Description | Interview with the Register |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
Results and Impact | Interview with the journalist from The Register on the LZ programme. An article published online. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
URL | https://www.theregister.co.uk/2016/08/01/upgraded_lux_experiment_hunt_for_dark_matter/ |
Description | Physics World online |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
Results and Impact | Interview with a journalist from Physics World Online, an article in this online journal. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |
URL | http://physicsworld.com/cws/article/news/2015/apr/09/dark-matter-and-muons-are-ruled-out-as-dama-sig... |
Description | Publication in the Observer on Sunday 21st September and on the Observer web site. |
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 | The article was an answer to a question on addition of velocities, and whether it is possible to exceed the speed of light. Rather than try and describe it, let me just paste the question and my article in here (below). I was working with the Observer Tech monthly columnist, Nicola Davis. // start of question: Q Say an aeroplane is flying at 500mph and I run forwards inside the aeroplane at 10mph. I'm travelling at 510mph. If we replicate this on a larger scale, an aeroplane flying inside another aeroplane, inside another and so on, could we eventually break the speed of light?" asks Paul Dunny Start of answer: A The short answer is no. Indeed although the scenario might sound plausible, as Dr Ed Daw from the University of Sheffield explains: "Sometimes common sense is just wrong, or perhaps different common sense ideas conflict with each other, and something has to give." Another thought experiment provides a good illustration of such limitations. "It is 'common sense' to say that a car moving on top of another car has a total speed of the sum of their speedometer readings relative to the ground. "However, what happens if instead of doing this with cars, you do it with light beams?" asks Daw. "Suppose I have a trolley travelling along a road at almost the speed of light, and I shine a light backwards off it. How fast is the backwards travelling light going with respect to the road?" Following the apparent "logic" of the argument brings you to a bizarre conclusion: "The so-called 'common sense' above suggests that if the trolley is travelling fast enough, the light can be stationary," says Daw. "That's just nonsense! Stationary light? Well, at least, Einstein thought it was nonsense." Unfazed, the great man of physics understood that one aspect of the scenario must be awry. "He realised that the common sense notion of light as somehow NOT like particles, and of light always travelling fast with respect to anyone looking, meant that the idea of adding speeds together to get a resultant speed [that is] the sum of its parts just can't be right for light, and therefore it isn't right for other objects moving at speeds close to the speed of light either," says Daw. There were many public comments on the web site for this column on my article, and it clearly stimulate a lot of debate by members of the public, who tend to be fascinated by the apparent paradoxes of Special Relativity. It is important that the Public continue to be made aware of the fascinating nature of modern scientific theories, and I hope my participation in this outreach activity made some contribution to that end. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014 |
URL | http://www.theguardian.com/science/2014/sep/21/speed-light-science-questions-answered |
Description | Radio 4 interview |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
Results and Impact | Radio 4 Today programme interview on Dark Matter Appeared on Radio 4 Today programme |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2013 |
Description | School visits |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | Yes |
Type Of Presentation | Keynote/Invited Speaker |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Schools |
Results and Impact | Multiple talks, to groups of 20-30 sixth form pupils. Questions and discussions followed. Roughly 8-10 such talks per year in recent years. Further invitations |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2008,2010,2011,2012,2013,2014,2015,2016,2017,2018 |
Description | Sunday Times |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A magazine, newsletter or online publication |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
Results and Impact | Interview on Dark Matter for Sunday Times March 2013 Article in Sunday Times 24/3/13 |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2013 |