Programme of Research in Experimental Particle Physics at the University of Warwick, 2006-2011
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Warwick
Department Name: Physics
Abstract
The scope of the proposed research lies in two distinct areas: the physics of particles containing the beauty quark, and the physics of neutrinos: 1). We aim to further our research into matter/anti-matter asymmetry (CP Violation) with Beauty mesons at the BABAR experiment. This is important, because we have shown that the leading source of CP violation at low energies is consistent with the Standard Model mechanism of CP violation. However, cosmological considerations indicate that there should be other sources of CP violation in Nature, so we aim to make further sensitive tests with beauty mesons, in order to see if any evidence for additional sources of CP violation in Nature may appear here. 2). The elucidation of the properties of neutrinos. These are very light, neutral particles which are emitted, for example, by the sun, and in radioactive beta decay. They have recently been found to oscillate, ie. transmute from one type to another, while they propagate. We propose to build part of the T2K experiment, which aims to determine the details of this behaviour. In particular, it aims to establish the rate and extent of oscillations between muon- and electron-neutrinos, and to derive related information on neutrino masses. We also propose to continue research and development on the COBRA experiment, which aims to identify neutrinoless double beta decays in CdZnTe. This would provide information on the absolute mass scale of neutrinos and establish the neutrinos as Majorana particles, equivalent to their own anti-particles. We will also continue research and development on a future neutrino factory, and on a new measurement of the absolute mass of the neutrino.
Publications
Letchford, A.P. And Clarke-Gayther, M.A. And Faircloth, D.C. And Findlay, D.J.S. And Lawrie, S.R. And Others
(2008)
Status of the RAL Front End Test Stand
in Conf.Proc.
Back J
(2008)
ACTIVIA: Calculation of isotope production cross-sections and yields
in Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment
Lightfoot P
(2008)
Characterisation of a silicon photomultiplier device for applications in liquid argon based neutrino physics and dark matter searches
in Journal of Instrumentation
BACK J
(2009)
Pion yields
Harrison P
(2009)
The matrix of unitarity triangle angles for quarks
in Physics Letters B
Lightfoot P
(2009)
Optical readout tracking detector concept using secondary scintillation from liquid argon generated by a thick gas electron multiplier
in Journal of Instrumentation
Alner, GJ
(2009)
ZEPLIN-II limits on WIMP-nucelon interactions
in SOURCES AND DETECTION OF DARK MATTER AND DARK ENERGY IN THE UNIVERSE
Harrison, P.F. And Scott, W.G.
(2009)
A Flavour-Symmetric Perspective on Neutrino Mixing
Ramachers Y
(2009)
Neutrinoless Double Beta Decay and Absolute Mass Measurements
in Nuclear Physics A
Harrison, P.F. And Roythorne, D.R.J. And Scott, W.G.
(2009)
Is the Unitarity Triangle Right?
Description | LHcb |
Organisation | European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) |
Department | Large Hadron Collider Beauty Experiment (LHCb) |
Country | Switzerland |
Sector | Public |
PI Contribution | The research team at The University of Warwick have provides expertise and personnel to help with the continued operation and data collection at LHcb as well as data analysis and interpretation of results collected by Warwick. |
Collaborator Contribution | Members of the LHcb team have provided resources and experimental time to allow for the collection of data which has been used by members of Warwick to produce output for LHcb, with the appropriate acknowledgements to Warwick staff. |
Impact | Any publication which indicates a LHcb Collaboration or authored by 'Aaij, R. and others' |
Start Year | 2008 |
Description | MICE |
Organisation | International Muon Ionization Cooling Experiment |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Public |
PI Contribution | The research team at The University of Warwick have provides expertise and personnel to help with the continued operation and data collection at MICE as well as data analysis and interpretation of results collected by Warwick. |
Collaborator Contribution | Members of the MICE team have provided resources and experimental time to allow for the collection of data which has been used by members of Warwick to produce output for MICE, with the appropriate acknowledgements to Warwick staff. |
Impact | Publications with reference MICE experimental data |
Start Year | 2006 |
Description | Neutrino Factory |
Organisation | Rutherford Appleton Laboratory |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | The research team at The University of Warwick have provides expertise and personnel to help with the continued Research and development into the Neutrino Factory as well as data analysis and interpretation of results collected by Warwick and other institutions. |
Collaborator Contribution | Members of the Neutrino Factory team have provided resources and ideas to allow for the development of new techniques which have been used by members of Warwick to produce new insights into techniques and equipment. |
Impact | Publication which make reference to the Neutrino Factory |
Description | T2K |
Organisation | T2K Collaboration |
Country | Global |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | The research team at The University of Warwick have provides expertise and personnel to help with the continued operation and data collection at ATLAS as well as data analysis and interpretation of results collected by Warwick. |
Collaborator Contribution | Members of the T2K team have provided resources and experimental time to allow for the collection of data which has been used by members of Warwick to produce output for T2K, with the appropriate acknowledgements to Warwick staff. |
Impact | All publications which have used T2K data. |