Theoretical Particle Physics Research
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Oxford
Department Name: Oxford Physics
Abstract
Our overall aim is to elucidate the nature of matter and its fundamental interactions via a variety of phenomenological and theoretical studies. Of crucial importance will be the new results coming from the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN. The proposed research will improve our ability to predict the effects of the strong interactions (QCD) on the processes that will be studied at the LHC and develop efficient methods to determine the properties of any new states of matter discovered there. Both analytical and numerical methods will be used to study the properties of hadrons, strongly interacting bound states of quarks. Our research will seek to determine what lies beyond the Standard Model of the strong, weak and electromagnetic interactions, with the ultimate goal of providing a fully unified theory, including gravity. The most promising candidate theories will be studied, including Grand and superstring unification and theories with additional space dimensions. Laboratory, astrophysical and cosmological implications will be analysed to determine the most sensitive experimental tests of these theories. We hope these studies will lead to a complete understanding of the origin of mass, including an understanding of the quark, charged lepton and neutrino masses, mixing angles and CP violation, as well as of the nature of dark matter. In addition to having direct relevance to the LHC program, our research will have relevance to present and future neutrino and astroparticle experiments and to astrophysical and cosmological studies. In particular a concerted effort will be made to understand the nature of the dark matter and optimise strategies for detecting both direct and indirect signals. The implications of particle physics models for early universe processes such as inflation will also be studied, with reference to forthcoming data from Planck concerning possible non-gaussianity in the CMB anisotropy and spectral features which provide new probes of the dynamics. The physics potential of the IceCube detector (in particular the PINGU sub-array) for studying oscillations of atmospheric neutrinos will be investigated.
Planned Impact
Particle physics underlies the workings of the material world, being concerned with the architecture of the fundamental physical interactions at the highest energies i.e. on the smallest distance scales. This naturally provides a link to the birth and evolution of the universe as a whole since the laws that governed the dynamics of space-time and matter at very early epochs close to the Big Bang are precisely those that we seek to unravel today through studies of elementary particles in both terrestrial accelerators, as well as through studies of high energy cosmic radiation. This research is truly fundamental in nature, seeking to obtain a mathematically rigorous and physically meaningful description of the laws that govern the universe - from gravity and electromagnetism on the largest scales to the weak and strong forces on the smallest. The Particle Theory Group at Oxford is active in most of the frontier areas of the subject - from particle phenomenology relevant to understanding the data pouring out of the Large Hadron Collider at CERN, as well as astroparticle experiments like IceCube and Auger, to mathematical studies aimed at constructing a consistent quantum description of gravity, e.g. superstring theory, which can resolve the mystery of the initial singularity at the Big Bang where all physical laws that we know today become inapplicable. We use analytic techniques as well as innovative numerical approaches using fast computers to study a wide range of problems which bear on the key science questions in the STFC roadmap.
To ensure that our results reach their target audiences, they are published in leading high impact journals. We also serve as editors and referees of many such journals and through rigorous peer review contribute towards maintaining the very high standards of our field. Since 2010 we have published 224 papers in refereed journals and served as editors and referees of 27 such journals. We have also undertaken to review applications made to 23 grant giving bodies in 15 countries (including the UK research councils STFC and EPSRC, as well as the Royal Society and the Leverhulme Foundation). We, as well as our postdocs, receive many invitations to speak at national and conferences which give us an opportunity to publicise our work and influence the direction of thinking in the field. Our post-docs and graduate students also attend such meetings in order to present and discuss their results. We are active in organising both specialist workshops and conferences, as well as in organising and teaching in specialist schools aimed at graduate students and young researchers. Since 2010 we been involved directly in organising 3 schools and 3 workshops and served on the international advisory committees of many more. In addition to generating, disseminating and applying scientific knowledge, we perform a very important additional function through our research, namely training graduate students and postdoctoral workers. 23 of our students have been awarded DPhil degrees since 2010 and most have gone on to postdoctoral positions, and some to industry. The international profile of Oxford University and our Group ensures that we receive applications from prospective students and young researchers of the highest calibre. We undertake to train these young minds how to think independently and critically and how to use advanced reasoning and both analytic and computational skills to undertake problem solving of a very high order.
We participate in a wide range of outreach activities ranging from talks to local schools and the public, consultation by national media, and extensive interactions with undergraduate audiences both in the UK and elsewhere. We participate in our University's programme to promote science by contributing to Open Days, Masterclasses and Access schemes. An innovative website http://whystringtheory.com/ set up with the help of summer students has received over 34,000 visits since Sep 2012.
To ensure that our results reach their target audiences, they are published in leading high impact journals. We also serve as editors and referees of many such journals and through rigorous peer review contribute towards maintaining the very high standards of our field. Since 2010 we have published 224 papers in refereed journals and served as editors and referees of 27 such journals. We have also undertaken to review applications made to 23 grant giving bodies in 15 countries (including the UK research councils STFC and EPSRC, as well as the Royal Society and the Leverhulme Foundation). We, as well as our postdocs, receive many invitations to speak at national and conferences which give us an opportunity to publicise our work and influence the direction of thinking in the field. Our post-docs and graduate students also attend such meetings in order to present and discuss their results. We are active in organising both specialist workshops and conferences, as well as in organising and teaching in specialist schools aimed at graduate students and young researchers. Since 2010 we been involved directly in organising 3 schools and 3 workshops and served on the international advisory committees of many more. In addition to generating, disseminating and applying scientific knowledge, we perform a very important additional function through our research, namely training graduate students and postdoctoral workers. 23 of our students have been awarded DPhil degrees since 2010 and most have gone on to postdoctoral positions, and some to industry. The international profile of Oxford University and our Group ensures that we receive applications from prospective students and young researchers of the highest calibre. We undertake to train these young minds how to think independently and critically and how to use advanced reasoning and both analytic and computational skills to undertake problem solving of a very high order.
We participate in a wide range of outreach activities ranging from talks to local schools and the public, consultation by national media, and extensive interactions with undergraduate audiences both in the UK and elsewhere. We participate in our University's programme to promote science by contributing to Open Days, Masterclasses and Access schemes. An innovative website http://whystringtheory.com/ set up with the help of summer students has received over 34,000 visits since Sep 2012.
Publications
Aartsen M
(2015)
THE DETECTION OF A SN IIn IN OPTICAL FOLLOW-UP OBSERVATIONS OF ICECUBE NEUTRINO EVENTS
in The Astrophysical Journal
Aartsen M
(2016)
ANISOTROPY IN COSMIC-RAY ARRIVAL DIRECTIONS IN THE SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE BASED ON SIX YEARS OF DATA FROM THE ICECUBE DETECTOR
in The Astrophysical Journal
Aartsen M
(2015)
SEARCH FOR PROMPT NEUTRINO EMISSION FROM GAMMA-RAY BURSTS WITH ICECUBE
in The Astrophysical Journal
Liu H
(2014)
FINGERPRINTS OF GALACTIC LOOP I ON THE COSMIC MICROWAVE BACKGROUND
in The Astrophysical Journal
Aartsen M
(2016)
THE SEARCH FOR TRANSIENT ASTROPHYSICAL NEUTRINO EMISSION WITH ICECUBE-DEEPCORE
in The Astrophysical Journal
Aartsen M
(2017)
All-sky Search for Time-integrated Neutrino Emission from Astrophysical Sources with 7 yr of IceCube Data
in The Astrophysical Journal
Berg M
(2017)
Constraints on Axion-like Particles from X-Ray Observations of NGC1275
in The Astrophysical Journal
Aab A
(2014)
A SEARCH FOR POINT SOURCES OF EeV PHOTONS
in The Astrophysical Journal
Aartsen M
(2014)
SEARCHES FOR EXTENDED AND POINT-LIKE NEUTRINO SOURCES WITH FOUR YEARS OF ICECUBE DATA
in The Astrophysical Journal
Aartsen M
(2016)
SEARCH FOR SOURCES OF HIGH-ENERGY NEUTRONS WITH FOUR YEARS OF DATA FROM THE ICETOP DETECTOR
in The Astrophysical Journal
Aartsen M
(2017)
Extending the Search for Muon Neutrinos Coincident with Gamma-Ray Bursts in IceCube Data
in The Astrophysical Journal
Acero F
(2017)
Prospects for Cherenkov Telescope Array Observations of the Young Supernova Remnant RX J1713.7-3946
in The Astrophysical Journal
Albert A
(2017)
Search for High-energy Neutrinos from Binary Neutron Star Merger GW170817 with ANTARES, IceCube, and the Pierre Auger Observatory
in The Astrophysical Journal
Aartsen M
(2017)
Constraints on Galactic Neutrino Emission with Seven Years of IceCube Data
in The Astrophysical Journal
Nielsen JT
(2016)
Marginal evidence for cosmic acceleration from Type Ia supernovae.
in Scientific reports
Barrios-Martí J.
(2015)
First combined search for neutrino point-sources in the Southern Sky with the ANTARES and IceCube neutrino telescopes
in Proceedings of Science
Abdallah J
(2015)
Simplified models for dark matter searches at the LHC
in Physics of the Dark Universe
Buchbinder E
(2015)
Non-generic couplings in supersymmetric standard models
in Physics Letters B
Athenodorou A
(2015)
On the weak N -dependence of SO ( N ) and SU ( N ) gauge theories in 2 + 1 dimensions
in Physics Letters B
Conlon J
(2018)
Can black hole superradiance be induced by galactic plasmas?
in Physics Letters B
Ball R
(2016)
Intrinsic charm in a matched general-mass scheme
in Physics Letters B
García García I
(2015)
Twin Higgs Asymmetric Dark Matter.
in Physical review letters
Aartsen MG
(2015)
Flavor Ratio of Astrophysical Neutrinos above 35 TeV in IceCube.
in Physical review letters
Dimopoulos S
(2014)
Maximally natural supersymmetry.
in Physical review letters
Aartsen MG
(2015)
Evidence for Astrophysical Muon Neutrinos from the Northern Sky with IceCube.
in Physical review letters
Misiak M
(2015)
Updated Next-to-Next-to-Leading-Order QCD Predictions for the Weak Radiative B-Meson Decays.
in Physical review letters
Gauld R
(2017)
Precision Determination of the Small-x Gluon from Charm Production at LHCb.
in Physical review letters
Aartsen MG
(2016)
Constraints on Ultrahigh-Energy Cosmic-Ray Sources from a Search for Neutrinos above 10 PeV with IceCube.
in Physical review letters
Aab A
(2016)
Ultrahigh-energy neutrino follow-up of gravitational wave events GW150914 and GW151226 with the Pierre Auger Observatory
in Physical Review D
Aartsen M
(2017)
Search for sterile neutrino mixing using three years of IceCube DeepCore data
in Physical Review D
Buchbinder E
(2016)
Yukawa unification in heterotic string theory
in Physical Review D
Adrián-Martínez S
(2016)
High-energy neutrino follow-up search of gravitational wave event GW150914 with ANTARES and IceCube
in Physical Review D
Gauld R
(2015)
Beauty-quark and charm-quark pair production asymmetries at LHCb
in Physical Review D
Braun A
(2018)
NS5-branes and line bundles in heterotic/F-theory duality
in Physical Review D
Aartsen M
(2015)
Determining neutrino oscillation parameters from atmospheric muon neutrino disappearance with three years of IceCube DeepCore data
in Physical Review D
Albert A
(2017)
Search for high-energy neutrinos from gravitational wave event GW151226 and candidate LVT151012 with ANTARES and IceCube
in Physical Review D
Buchbinder E
(2020)
Instantons and Hilbert functions
in Physical Review D
Aartsen M
(2014)
Multimessenger search for sources of gravitational waves and high-energy neutrinos: Initial results for LIGO-Virgo and IceCube
in Physical Review D
Conlon J
(2017)
Consistency of Hitomi, XMM-Newton, and Chandra 3.5 keV data from Perseus
in Physical Review D
Mertsch P
(2014)
AMS-02 data confront acceleration of cosmic ray secondaries in nearby sources
in Physical Review D
Crivellin A
(2014)
Dark matter direct detection constraints from gauge bosons loops
in Physical Review D
Aartsen M
(2014)
Search for a diffuse flux of astrophysical muon neutrinos with the IceCube 59-string configuration
in Physical Review D
Aartsen M
(2019)
Measurement of atmospheric tau neutrino appearance with IceCube DeepCore
in Physical Review D
Aab A
(2016)
Search for ultrarelativistic magnetic monopoles with the Pierre Auger observatory
in Physical Review D
Buchbinder E
(2015)
Heterotic QCD axion
in Physical Review D
Crivellin A
(2015)
LHC constraints on gauge boson couplings to dark matter
in Physical Review D
García García I
(2015)
Twin Higgs WIMP dark matter
in Physical Review D
Gauld R
(2014)
Minimal Z ' explanations of the B ? K * µ + µ - anomaly
in Physical Review D
Conlon J
(2016)
Galaxy cluster thermal x-ray spectra constrain axionlike particles
in Physical Review D
Aartsen M
(2016)
Neutrino oscillation studies with IceCube-DeepCore
in Nuclear Physics B
Description | Our understanding of the fundamental nature of matter and forces in the universe has been extended. |
Exploitation Route | As is evident from the citation record, the publications in peer-reviewed international journals resulting from this work have been widely used by other researchers and influenced research directions in the field. |
Sectors | Education |
Description | AMVA4NewPhysics Marie Curie Initial Training Network of the European Comission |
Organisation | European Commission |
Country | European Union (EU) |
Sector | Public |
PI Contribution | Exploitation of advanced multivariate techniques for the search for New Physics at the Large Hadron Collider |
Collaborator Contribution | General organisation of the network and research activities. |
Impact | . |
Start Year | 2015 |