The University of Liverpool, Department of Physics Particle Physics Rolling Grant

利物浦大学物理系粒子物理滚动资助

基本信息

批准号：
ST/H001069/2
负责人：
Philip Allport
金额：
$ 1933.99万
依托单位：
University of Liverpool
依托单位国家：
英国
项目类别：
Research Grant
财政年份：
2010
资助国家：
英国
起止时间：
2010 至无数据
项目状态：
已结题

来源：
https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=ST%2FH001069%2F2
关键词：
University Liverpool Department Physics Particle

项目摘要

The theories describing the forces binding fundamental particles to make the world we live in fail to capture the phenomenon of mass, working most naturally only for massless fundamental particles. The problem is solved by new physics at the electroweak unification energy scale, where the weak nuclear force and that of electromagnetism are found to show the same strength, a fact associated with the mass of the force-carrying W and Z particles being the root cause of the apparent weakness of the 'weak' force. The 'new physics' at this characteristic mass/energy scale is often thought to be related to the existence of a Higgs particle with mass just above that of the W and Z. However, even if this is the correct scenario, strong theoretical arguments exist for other phenomena, close in energy scale. All of this provides a major motivation for building the LHC and for one aspect of its physics programme, the search, using high energy collisions, for direct production of new particles. ATLAS, with a major component of its tracking detector assembled at Liverpool, is searching for such 'new physics', but to be sure of a discovery, the predictions of the known physics, the 'Standard Model', have to be understood extremely well in the high energy collisions of the LHC. This is a key first step and one that Liverpool is emphasising with its impressive understanding of strong interaction physics and proton structure. Another way deviations can be found is in subtler effects at lower energies, for example in the decays of particles containing the b-quark, the most massive quark with a measurable lifetime. This is the target of the LHCb experiment, where the detection of short lived particles produced at the LHC relies on the Vertex Locator (VeLo) detector for which all the modules were built at Liverpool. Liverpool physicists are playing major roles in several aspects of this experiment, including studies relating to exploration of rare Standard Model processes. Another area which has proved very fruitful in finding deviations from the Standard Model is in the properties of neutrinos. These can be explored through 'neutrino oscillation' experiments, sensitive to both neutrino masses (thought to be zero until a decade ago) and how different types of neutrinos can inter-convert. The intense beam being produced at the J-PARC laboratory in Japan is the ideal testing ground for ideas that asymmetries between neutrinos and anti-neutrinos may have helped produce the matter anti-matter asymmetry we see in today's Universe (where, as far as we can tell, all the anti-matter has annihilated away). In all these programmes, there is a lively future building on these experiments and we play a key role in plans and research aimed at upgrades to allow better exploitation of these unique facilities. At the LHC, improvements to the accelerator will lead to the rebuilding of large parts of the detectors. In particular, much greater radiation hardness may be needed and we enjoy a world-leading reputation in radiation hard silicon detectors. Other aspects require advanced materials and low mass structures, novel interconnect technologies and microelectronics developments. These are all areas where we bring unique skills, already demonstrated in the detectors provided to current experiments. In addition to work on silicon sensors (both strip and pixels), we are working on novel liquid argon based detectors, and on a combined magnet-calorimeter concept. The longer term future clearly will involve new accelerators and new accelerator components on existing facilities. We are particularly well placed to contribute through our lead role in the Cockcroft Institute whose Director is a Liverpool professor. Liverpool enjoys a long tradition of generic research and development which leads to major developments in new technologies. We work closely with UK industry wherever possible to ensure the widest possible dissemination of novel results

描述使我们生活的世界结合的基本粒子的力的理论未能捕捉到质量现象，最自然地只适用于无质量的基本粒子。这个问题通过电弱统一能量尺度的新物理学得到了解决，其中弱核力和电磁力被发现表现出相同的强度，这一事实与承载力的 W 和 Z 粒子的质量相关，这是根本原因“弱”力量的明显弱点。这种特征质量/能量尺度的“新物理学”通常被认为与质量略高于 W 和 Z 的希格斯粒子的存在有关。然而，即使这是正确的情况，也存在强有力的理论论证对于其他现象，能量尺度接近。所有这些都为建造大型强子对撞机及其物理计划的一个方面提供了主要动力，即利用高能碰撞来直接产生新粒子。 ATLAS 的跟踪探测器的主要部件是在利物浦组装的，它正在寻找这样的“新物理学”，但为了确保发现，必须非常清楚地理解已知物理学“标准模型”的预测在大型强子对撞机的高能碰撞中。这是关键的第一步，也是利物浦以其对强相互作用物理和质子结构的令人印象深刻的理解而强调的一步。发现偏差的另一种方式是较低能量下的微妙效应，例如包含 b 夸克的粒子的衰变，b 夸克是具有可测量寿命的最大质量夸克。这是大型强子对撞机（LHCb）实验的目标，大型强子对撞机（LHCb）产生的短寿命粒子的检测依赖于顶点定位器（VeLo）探测器，该探测器的所有模块都是在利物浦建造的。利物浦物理学家在该实验的几个方面发挥了重要作用，包括与探索罕见标准模型过程相关的研究。事实证明，在发现与标准模型的偏差方面非常富有成果的另一个领域是中微子的特性。这些可以通过“中微子振荡”实验来探索，该实验对中微子质量（十年前被认为为零）以及不同类型的中微子如何相互转换敏感。日本 J-PARC 实验室产生的强光束是中微子和反中微子之间的不对称性可能有助于产生我们在当今宇宙中看到的物质反物质不对称性这一想法的理想试验场（据我们所知，中微子和反中微子之间的不对称性可能有助于产生我们在当今宇宙中看到的物质反物质不对称性）可以看出，所有的反物质都已经湮灭了）。在所有这些计划中，在这些实验的基础上都有一个充满活力的未来，我们在旨在升级以更好地利用这些独特设施的计划和研究中发挥着关键作用。在大型强子对撞机中，加速器的改进将导致探测器大部分的重建。特别是，可能需要更高的辐射硬度，我们在辐射硬硅探测器方面享有世界领先的声誉。其他方面需要先进的材料和低质量结构、新颖的互连技术和微电子发展。这些都是我们带来独特技能的领域，这些技能已经在当前实验提供的探测器中得到了证明。除了硅传感器（条带式和像素式）的研究之外，我们还致力于新型液氩探测器以及磁量热仪组合概念的研究。从长远来看，显然将涉及现有设施上的新加速器和新加速器组件。我们特别有能力通过我们在科克罗夫特研究所的领导作用做出贡献，该研究所的主任是利物浦教授。利物浦拥有悠久的仿制药研究和开发传统，这导致了新技术的重大发展。我们尽可能与英国工业界密切合作，以确保新颖的成果得到最广泛的传播