The study of elementary particles and their interactions (Consolidated Grant 2019 - 2022)
Lead Research Organisation:
Imperial College London
Department Name: Physics
Abstract
This grant is to continue the group's programme of investigation into the properties of elementary particles and the fundamental forces of nature.
One of the main objectives of this grant will be to support the exploitation of the LHC experiments which will be taking data during the period of this grant. The CMS experiment will continue to measure the Higgs particle, following its successful discovery in 2012. It will also be able to extend the parameter space in searches for SUSY and other new phenomena such as finding evidence of potential dark matter candidates. The LHCb experiment will offer complementary tests of the Standard Model and beyond with the ability to look for extremely rare decays in flavour physics and to measure CP asymmetries in the decays of B mesons, both of which are sensitive to contributions from new physics. The group will also be active in preparing the next generation of detectors for the high luminosity upgrade of the LHC.
The T2K long baseline neutrino experiment will allow us to expand our understanding of the masses and mixings in the neutrino sector, and should provide key indications of CP violation in the neutrino sector. The SoLid experiment will take data throughout the grant period and should settle the very short baseline neutrino anomoly. One of the other missing pieces of the neutrino puzzle is whether the neutrino is its own antiparticle. We are preparing the SuperNEMO experiment to attempt to determine if the neutrino is a Majorana particle and first data-taking will occur during the grant. Heavy neutrino-like particles are predicted in several new physics models and we are starting preparations for the SHiP experiment to search for these new particles.
The group will be active in several experiments specifically searching for new physics. Direct conversion of muons to electrons is heavily suppressed in the Standard Model so any observation of this process would be a major discovery. The COMET experiment is searching for this process and will take data during the grant. Similarly, a measurable electric dipole moment for the electron could only arise through new physics and the eEDM experiment will continue to push down the limits for such an effect. Around a quarter of the Universe is composed of dark matter and its nature is unknown. This has so far remained undetected in the laboratory and the group will continue its activity in searching for direct evidence of a dark matter candidate through the LUX-ZEPLIN experiment.
Accelerators to produce muon beams will be needed for future neutrino and muon collider experiments. The group is continuing its research in this area through the nuSTORM studies. Proton beams also have potential applications for other scientific fields and for healthcare, and the group is studying how to apply these techniques in these areas.
One of the main objectives of this grant will be to support the exploitation of the LHC experiments which will be taking data during the period of this grant. The CMS experiment will continue to measure the Higgs particle, following its successful discovery in 2012. It will also be able to extend the parameter space in searches for SUSY and other new phenomena such as finding evidence of potential dark matter candidates. The LHCb experiment will offer complementary tests of the Standard Model and beyond with the ability to look for extremely rare decays in flavour physics and to measure CP asymmetries in the decays of B mesons, both of which are sensitive to contributions from new physics. The group will also be active in preparing the next generation of detectors for the high luminosity upgrade of the LHC.
The T2K long baseline neutrino experiment will allow us to expand our understanding of the masses and mixings in the neutrino sector, and should provide key indications of CP violation in the neutrino sector. The SoLid experiment will take data throughout the grant period and should settle the very short baseline neutrino anomoly. One of the other missing pieces of the neutrino puzzle is whether the neutrino is its own antiparticle. We are preparing the SuperNEMO experiment to attempt to determine if the neutrino is a Majorana particle and first data-taking will occur during the grant. Heavy neutrino-like particles are predicted in several new physics models and we are starting preparations for the SHiP experiment to search for these new particles.
The group will be active in several experiments specifically searching for new physics. Direct conversion of muons to electrons is heavily suppressed in the Standard Model so any observation of this process would be a major discovery. The COMET experiment is searching for this process and will take data during the grant. Similarly, a measurable electric dipole moment for the electron could only arise through new physics and the eEDM experiment will continue to push down the limits for such an effect. Around a quarter of the Universe is composed of dark matter and its nature is unknown. This has so far remained undetected in the laboratory and the group will continue its activity in searching for direct evidence of a dark matter candidate through the LUX-ZEPLIN experiment.
Accelerators to produce muon beams will be needed for future neutrino and muon collider experiments. The group is continuing its research in this area through the nuSTORM studies. Proton beams also have potential applications for other scientific fields and for healthcare, and the group is studying how to apply these techniques in these areas.
Planned Impact
While much of the research described in this grant is exploring fundamental questions where the immediate impact implications of discoveries can take decades to unfold, there are several examples of areas where technology developed in the pursuit of discoveries can have a more immediate impact. The group has potential impact in several key areas; training, outreach, transfer of HEP technology and ideas, and transfer and development of accelerator technology. These reach a diverse audience ranging from schoolchildren to cancer practitioners to neutron source users. See the submitted "Pathways to Impact" document for further details.
Organisations
Publications
Sirunyan AM
(2020)
Search for physics beyond the standard model in events with jets and two same-sign or at least three charged leptons in proton-proton collisions at s = 13 TeV.
in The European physical journal. C, Particles and fields
Sirunyan AM
(2020)
Measurement of differential cross sections and charge ratios for t-channel single top quark production in proton-proton collisions at s = 13 Te .
in The European physical journal. C, Particles and fields
Akerib D
(2020)
Improved modeling of ß electronic recoils in liquid xenon using LUX calibration data
in Journal of Instrumentation
Sirunyan A
(2020)
Inclusive search for highly boosted Higgs bosons decaying to bottom quark-antiquark pairs in proton-proton collisions at $$ \sqrt{s} $$ = 13 TeV
in Journal of High Energy Physics
Sirunyan A
(2020)
Measurement of the Y(1S) pair production cross section and search for resonances decaying to Y(1S)µ+µ- in proton-proton collisions at s = 13 TeV
in Physics Letters B
Abi B
(2020)
First results on ProtoDUNE-SP liquid argon time projection chamber performance from a beam test at the CERN Neutrino Platform
in Journal of Instrumentation
Abi B
(2020)
Volume I. Introduction to DUNE
in Journal of Instrumentation
Sirunyan AM
(2020)
Study of central exclusive production in proton-proton collisions at s = 5.02 and 13TeV.
in The European physical journal. C, Particles and fields
Ahdida C
(2020)
Measurement of the muon flux from 400 GeV/c protons interacting in a thick molybdenum/tungsten target
in The European Physical Journal C
Abi B
(2020)
Long-baseline neutrino oscillation physics potential of the DUNE experiment DUNE Collaboration
in The European Physical Journal C
Aaij R
(2020)
Measurement of the relative branching fractions of B + ? h + h ' + h ' - decays
in Physical Review D
Sirunyan A
(2020)
Measurement of properties of $$ {\mathrm{B}}_{\mathrm{s}}^0 $$? µ+µ- decays and search for B0? µ+µ- with the CMS experiment
in Journal of High Energy Physics
Aaij R
(2020)
Constraints on the K_{S}^{0}?µ^{+}µ^{-} Branching Fraction.
in Physical review letters
Sirunyan A
(2020)
Calibration of the CMS hadron calorimeters using proton-proton collision data at v s = 13 TeV
in Journal of Instrumentation
Aaij R
(2020)
Measurement of the shape of the $$ {B}_s^0\to {D}_s^{\ast -}{\mu}^{+}{\nu}_{\mu } $$ differential decay rate
in Journal of High Energy Physics
Sirunyan AM
(2020)
Observation of the Production of Three Massive Gauge Bosons at sqrt[s]=13 TeV.
in Physical review letters
Akerib D
(2020)
The LUX-ZEPLIN (LZ) radioactivity and cleanliness control programs
in The European Physical Journal C
Sirunyan A
(2020)
Determination of the strong coupling constant aS(mZ) from measurements of inclusive W± and Z boson production cross sections in proton-proton collisions at $$ \sqrt{\mathrm{s}} $$ = 7 and 8 TeV
in Journal of High Energy Physics
Agarwal G
(2020)
Optimisation of vortex tubes and the potential for use in atmospheric separation
in Journal of Physics D: Applied Physics
Sirunyan AM
(2020)
A multi-dimensional search for new heavy resonances decaying to boosted W W , W Z , or Z Z boson pairs in the dijet final state at 13 Te .
in The European physical journal. C, Particles and fields
Sirunyan A
(2020)
Pileup mitigation at CMS in 13 TeV data
in Journal of Instrumentation
Aaij R
(2020)
First Observation of Excited O_{b}^{-} States.
in Physical review letters
Sirunyan A
(2020)
Measurement of $$\hbox {t}{\bar{\hbox {t}}}$$ normalised multi-differential cross sections in $${\text {p}}{\text {p}} $$ collisions at $$\sqrt{s}=13\,{\text {TeV}} $$, and simultaneous determination of the strong coupling strength, top quark pole mass, and parton distribution functions
in The European Physical Journal C
Aaij R
(2020)
Test of lepton universality with $$ {\Lambda}_b^0\to {pK}^{-}{\mathrm{\ell}}^{+}{\mathrm{\ell}}^{-} $$ decays
in Journal of High Energy Physics
Sirunyan A
(2020)
Search for a light charged Higgs boson in the H ± ? c s channel in proton-proton collisions at s = 13 TeV
in Physical Review D