Particle Physics STFC Consolidated Grant 2012
Lead Research Organisation:
Royal Holloway University of London
Department Name: Physics
Abstract
Experimental particle physics addresses some of the fundamental questions about the structure and behaviour of the
Universe at the level of the smallest particles of matter, the quarks and the leptons, and the forces acting between them. We are exploring fundamental properties of particles at the the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) and also exploring the nature of dark matter by developing and employing novel detection systems.
We are contributing to the preparation of the ATLAS project at the Large Hadron Collider at CERN that will
begin taking data in 2009. We have constructed and commissioned electronic systems and the software that drives them.
From 2009 onwards we will be analysing the data as it becomes available. In particular we will be searching the data for
evidence of the existence of the Higgs boson, one of the key missing elements of the Standard Model of particle physics
at present, and for supersymmetric particles and other exotic phenomena, that are expected to exist. We are also
planning to understand better the properties of the top quark and the structure of the proton.
Beneficiaries.
Cosmological measurements determine that dark matter makes up five times more of the energy density of the universe than the particles we know of. Although the existence of dark matter is inferred from its gravitational interactions, it has not yet been directly detected in terrestrial laboratories. Direct detection experiments seek to observe dark matter scattering on target detector nuclei. To explore these fundamental issues, we have set up a new dark matter group to participate in a world-leading dark matter search on DEAP/CLEAN, a liquid Argon detector with unique potential for scaling to multi-tonne masses, and with the DMTPC detector development program to measure the dark matter wind, which can correlate a dark matter-induced recoil signal with the earth's motion through the galactic dark matter halo, distinct from relatively isotropic terrestrial backgrounds.
Universe at the level of the smallest particles of matter, the quarks and the leptons, and the forces acting between them. We are exploring fundamental properties of particles at the the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) and also exploring the nature of dark matter by developing and employing novel detection systems.
We are contributing to the preparation of the ATLAS project at the Large Hadron Collider at CERN that will
begin taking data in 2009. We have constructed and commissioned electronic systems and the software that drives them.
From 2009 onwards we will be analysing the data as it becomes available. In particular we will be searching the data for
evidence of the existence of the Higgs boson, one of the key missing elements of the Standard Model of particle physics
at present, and for supersymmetric particles and other exotic phenomena, that are expected to exist. We are also
planning to understand better the properties of the top quark and the structure of the proton.
Beneficiaries.
Cosmological measurements determine that dark matter makes up five times more of the energy density of the universe than the particles we know of. Although the existence of dark matter is inferred from its gravitational interactions, it has not yet been directly detected in terrestrial laboratories. Direct detection experiments seek to observe dark matter scattering on target detector nuclei. To explore these fundamental issues, we have set up a new dark matter group to participate in a world-leading dark matter search on DEAP/CLEAN, a liquid Argon detector with unique potential for scaling to multi-tonne masses, and with the DMTPC detector development program to measure the dark matter wind, which can correlate a dark matter-induced recoil signal with the earth's motion through the galactic dark matter halo, distinct from relatively isotropic terrestrial backgrounds.
Planned Impact
The Centre for Particle Physics (CPP) at RHUL includes the particle physics experimental research applied for in the Consolidated Grant. The CPP also contains the John Adams Institute for Accelerator Science at RHUL and our theoretical physics activity; while these are not applying for funding in this proposal, it should be recognized that they have impact related synergies that will benefit from this grant.
The beneficiaries from this research include:
Employers of numerate and scientifically literate staff
- particle physics PhD's are highly sought after outside of academic in physics related jobs and also in industry and finance.
- undergraduates are attracted to science degrees by their excitement by particle physics; these graduates subsequently go into the wider workforce.
Wider public through a greater appreciation of fundamental physics
- the huge exposure of the LHC and the ongoing quest for the Higgs boson in the UK media demonstrates national interest in particle physics
- scientific discovery is part of the human condition and has a strong role in the culture of the nation.
Users of computing
- The LHC analysis needs vast computing resources that have necessitated developing transformative computing systems, namely the Grid, that has set new scales for distributed computing and is also opening up new possibilities outside of particle physics.
- students emerge from our research programmes well versed in state-of-the art computing and bring this expertise to industry and finance.
Detector systems
- The dark matter group at RHUL is very interested in low-background radiation detector development, in particular using cryogenic targets with large area photo-detectors for scintillation photon detection. We are also actively pursuing low-pressure gas time projection chamber R&D with both commercial photosensors for optical readout as well as low-noise electronics for charge readout. Both of these efforts potentially have commercial applications in the areas of low energy gamma and direction-sensitive neutron detection.
- In order to advance the impact agenda, the dark matter group at RHUL is endorsing a SEPNET/IPS Fellowship application by the University of Surrey in the context of SEPNET and intends to collaborate on developing technology transfer projects to explore commercialising radiation detectors based on our R&D efforts, and associated instrumentation and techniques.
The beneficiaries from this research include:
Employers of numerate and scientifically literate staff
- particle physics PhD's are highly sought after outside of academic in physics related jobs and also in industry and finance.
- undergraduates are attracted to science degrees by their excitement by particle physics; these graduates subsequently go into the wider workforce.
Wider public through a greater appreciation of fundamental physics
- the huge exposure of the LHC and the ongoing quest for the Higgs boson in the UK media demonstrates national interest in particle physics
- scientific discovery is part of the human condition and has a strong role in the culture of the nation.
Users of computing
- The LHC analysis needs vast computing resources that have necessitated developing transformative computing systems, namely the Grid, that has set new scales for distributed computing and is also opening up new possibilities outside of particle physics.
- students emerge from our research programmes well versed in state-of-the art computing and bring this expertise to industry and finance.
Detector systems
- The dark matter group at RHUL is very interested in low-background radiation detector development, in particular using cryogenic targets with large area photo-detectors for scintillation photon detection. We are also actively pursuing low-pressure gas time projection chamber R&D with both commercial photosensors for optical readout as well as low-noise electronics for charge readout. Both of these efforts potentially have commercial applications in the areas of low energy gamma and direction-sensitive neutron detection.
- In order to advance the impact agenda, the dark matter group at RHUL is endorsing a SEPNET/IPS Fellowship application by the University of Surrey in the context of SEPNET and intends to collaborate on developing technology transfer projects to explore commercialising radiation detectors based on our R&D efforts, and associated instrumentation and techniques.
Publications
Abruzzio R
(2015)
Design of the MiniCLEAN dark matter search veto detector subsystem
in Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment
Adamson P
(2015)
Study of quasielastic scattering using charged-current ? ยต -iron interactions in the MINOS near detector
in Physical Review D
Aharmim B
(2014)
A search for astrophysical burst signals at the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory
in Astroparticle Physics
Aharmim B
(2013)
Measurement of the ? e and total 8 B solar neutrino fluxes with the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory phase-III data set
in Physical Review C
Aharmim B
(2013)
Combined analysis of all three phases of solar neutrino data from the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory
in Physical Review C
Akashi-Ronquest M
(2015)
Improving photoelectron counting and particle identification in scintillation detectors with Bayesian techniques
in Astroparticle Physics
Akerib D
(2013)
Technical results from the surface run of the LUX dark matter experiment
in Astroparticle Physics
Akerib D
(2013)
The Large Underground Xenon (LUX) experiment
in Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment
Akerib D
(2013)
An ultra-low background PMT for liquid xenon detectors
in Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment
Akerib DS
(2014)
First results from the LUX dark matter experiment at the Sanford underground research facility.
in Physical review letters
Amaudruz P
(2015)
Radon backgrounds in the DEAP-1 liquid-argon-based Dark Matter detector
in Astroparticle Physics
Atlas Collaboration
(2017)
Performance of the ATLAS trigger system in 2015.
in The European physical journal. C, Particles and fields
Battat J
(2012)
Dark Matter Time Projection Chamber : Recent R&D Results
in EAS Publications Series
Battat J
(2014)
The Dark Matter Time Projection Chamber 4Shooter directional dark matter detector: Calibration in a surface laboratory
in Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment
Battat J
(2016)
Readout technologies for directional WIMP Dark Matter detection
in Physics Reports
Borga A
(2015)
The C-RORC PCIe card and its application in the ALICE and ATLAS experiments
in Journal of Instrumentation
Deaconu C
(2015)
Track Reconstruction Progress from the DMTPC Directional Dark Matter Experiment
in Physics Procedia
Fields L
(2013)
Measurement of muon antineutrino quasielastic scattering on a hydrocarbon target at E? ~ 3.5 GeV.
in Physical review letters
Fiorentini GA
(2013)
Measurement of muon neutrino quasielastic scattering on a hydrocarbon target at E? ~ 3.5 GeV.
in Physical review letters
Grace E
(2017)
Index of refraction, Rayleigh scattering length, and Sellmeier coefficients in solid and liquid argon and xenon
in Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment
Grothaus P
(2014)
Directional dark matter detection beyond the neutrino bound
in Physical Review D
Lopez J
(2012)
Rejection of Electronic Recoils with the DMTPC Dark Matter Search
in Physics Procedia
Lopez J
(2012)
Background rejection in the DMTPC dark matter search using charge signals
in Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment
Mayet F
(2016)
A review of the discovery reach of directional Dark Matter detection
in Physics Reports
Monroe J
(2012)
Directional Detection For Dark Matter And Neutrino Physics
in Nuclear Physics B - Proceedings Supplements
Monroe J
(2012)
Status and Prospects of the DMTPC Directional Dark Matter Experiment
in EAS Publications Series
Monroe J
(2012)
Recent Progress from the MiniCLEAN Dark Matter Experiment
in Journal of Physics: Conference Series
Rielage K
(2015)
Update on the MiniCLEAN Dark Matter Experiment
in Physics Procedia
Wahl C
(2014)
Pulse-shape discrimination and energy resolution of a liquid-argon scintillator with xenon doping
in Journal of Instrumentation
Description | World-leading dark matter direct detection search result fro LUX |
Exploitation Route | Provides key information on the design of future searches for Dark Matter; constraints on cosmological models. |
Sectors | Education,Other |
URL | http://luxdarkmatter.org |
Description | 2014 Royal Society Summer Science Exhibition: Higgs Boson |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Participated in the extremely popular RS Summer Science Exhibition on the Higgs Boson. RHUL members helped man the exhibit stand fielding numerous questions and engaging in discussions with visitors. Overall the visitors will have increased their understanding of particle physics and (hopefully) their appreciation for scientific research. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014 |
URL | http://sse.royalsociety.org/2014/higgs-boson/ |
Description | BBC Stargazing Live Event |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | Yes |
Type Of Presentation | Keynote/Invited Speaker |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | 7000 people visited RHUL on 9 January 2014 and perhaps 1000 of them will have visited the Dark Matter demonstration led by Dr Nikkel. A news report on the event can be found here: http://www.rhul.ac.uk/aboutus/newsandevents/news/newsarticles/thousandsgatheratroyalhollowaytoexplorethenightskywithbbcstargazinglive.aspx Numerous UCAS candidates at RHUL over the past several months have said that they visited the Stargazing Live event or saw it on television. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014 |
URL | http://www.rhul.ac.uk/aboutus/newsandevents/news/newsarticles/thousandsgatheratroyalhollowaytoexplor... |