Experimental Physics Research Program at Columbia University/Nevis Laboratories

哥伦比亚大学/尼维斯实验室实验物理研究项目

• 批准号: 1404209
• 负责人: Michael Shaevitz
• 金额: $ 451万
• 依托单位: Columbia University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2014
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2014-07-01 至 2018-06-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1404209&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Experimental; Physics; Research; Program; Columbia

Overview: The principal goal of experiments in modern particle physics is to uncover new physics that underlies the Standard Model. Possible approaches include the study of physics processes at the highest available collision energies at accelerators or through studies of the very rare interactions of neutrinos. The Columbia Particle Physics group tackles both directions. Intellectual Merit of physics at the highest available collision energies: A goal of experiments at the Large Hadron Collider (the LHC) at CERN, Geneva, Switzerland is to understand the nature of the Higgs Boson, recently discovered there in 2012, and to discover new physics beyond the Standard Model. These goals are relevant to the understanding of the Universe at its most fundamental level in the fleeting fraction of a second just after the Big Bang, and to why we see the Universe as we do now. To meet the challenges of this quest, new theories are advanced, new detectors and accelerators are developed and built, and new computing and analytical methodologies are created, all of which have significant broader impact for the training of young scientists in the near term and the advancement of technological benefits to society over the longer term. The next three years represent a transition of the LHC physics program from a collision energy of 8 TeV data-taking and operation, to extended operations and data taking at nearly double the energy, 13-14 TeV. Over a thousand scientists from the United States are involved with this scientific program on several major experiments.The Columbia team is one of the leading groups participating in the ATLAS experiment at CERN. Their contributions include extensive involvement in the scientific and technical management of the experiment, substantial contributions to the maintenance and operations and upgrades of the key detectors for energy measurement, the Liquid Argon Calorimetry. In the search for new physics, the group is deeply involved in QCD (jet) studies including boosted jet technology, Standard Model and Beyond the Standard Model studies of events with pairs of vector bosons (WW, ZZ and WZ) in the final state to search for new resonant states, gravitons and supersymmetry. Intellectual Merit of Neutrino Physics: Another major question is what happened to all the antimatter in the universe? Fundamental symmetry arguments suggest that matter and antimatter should have been produced in equal abundance in the early universe, but now all we see is matter. A key to unraveling this mystery may lie with elusive particles called neutrinos, which are abundant in the universe, but which barely interact with matter. There are three of these particles known. Why three? And what are the masses of these particles? Are there more? Experiments are underway to understand these phenomena and to see if more than three neutrinos exist.The Columbia group is completing is contributions to an earlier reactor-based neutrino experiment called Double CHOOZ and is now heavily involved in a new experiment named MicroBOONE, which is coming online at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory in Batavia, Illinois. This program will address several of the key questions in neutrino physics including the search of additional neutrinos as well as advance an important new technology for the field, the Liquid Argon Time Projection Chamber. The Columbia group has major responsibilities for the readout electronics of the Time Projection Chamber and triggering system, detector simulation, data acquisition software, and physics analysis.Broader Impacts: A principal focus of the Columbia group over many years and strengthened with this award is the training of undergraduate students through their highly successful Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) summer program. This program has demonstrated a commitment to the inclusion of under-represented groups, including many students from undergraduate-only institutions. Follow-up tracking has shown an impressive rate of success for graduates of their programs to pursue advanced degrees in STEM fields.

现代粒子物理学实验的主要目标是揭示标准模型的新物理基础。 可能的方法包括在加速器上研究最高碰撞能量下的物理过程，或通过研究中微子的非常罕见的相互作用。 哥伦比亚大学粒子物理学小组处理这两个方向。 在最高碰撞能量下的物理学的智力价值：位于瑞士日内瓦的欧洲核子研究中心的大型强子对撞机（LHC）实验的一个目标是了解2012年在那里发现的希格斯玻色子的性质，并发现标准模型之外的新物理学。 这些目标与理解宇宙在大爆炸后短短一秒钟内的最基本水平以及为什么我们现在看到的宇宙有关。为了迎接这一探索的挑战，提出了新的理论，开发和建造了新的探测器和加速器，并创造了新的计算和分析方法，所有这些都对短期内培训青年科学家和长期提高技术对社会的益处产生了广泛的影响。接下来的三年代表了LHC物理计划的过渡，从8 TeV的碰撞能量数据采集和操作，到扩展操作和数据采集，几乎是能量的两倍，13-14 TeV。来自美国的一千多名科学家参与了这一科学计划的几个主要实验。哥伦比亚小组是参加欧洲核子研究中心ATLAS实验的领导小组之一。 他们的贡献包括广泛参与实验的科学和技术管理，为能量测量的关键探测器-液氩量热仪的维护、操作和升级作出了重大贡献。 在寻找新物理学的过程中，该小组深入参与了QCD（喷流）研究，包括助推喷流技术，标准模型和超越标准模型研究在最终状态中具有矢量玻色子对（WW，ZZ和WZ）的事件，以寻找新的共振态，引力子和超对称性。 中微子物理学的知识价值：另一个主要问题是宇宙中所有的反物质发生了什么？ 基本的对称性论证表明，在早期宇宙中，物质和反物质应该以同样的丰度产生，但现在我们所看到的只是物质。 解开这个谜团的一个关键可能在于一种叫做中微子的难以捉摸的粒子，这种粒子在宇宙中很丰富，但几乎不与物质相互作用。 已知有三种粒子。 为什么是三个？这些粒子的质量是多少？ 还有吗实验正在进行中，以了解这些现象，并看看是否有三个以上的中微子存在。哥伦比亚小组正在完成是早期的反应堆为基础的中微子实验，称为双CHOOZ的贡献，现在正在积极参与一个新的实验，名为微BOONE，这是即将上线的费米国家加速器实验室在巴达维亚，伊利诺伊州。 该计划将解决中微子物理学中的几个关键问题，包括寻找更多的中微子，以及推进该领域的重要新技术，液氩时间投影室。 哥伦比亚小组主要负责时间投影室的读出电子学和触发系统、探测器模拟、数据采集软件和物理分析。更广泛的影响：哥伦比亚小组多年来的一个主要重点，并通过这个奖项得到加强，是通过他们非常成功的本科生研究经验（REU）暑期项目对本科生的培训。该方案表明了对纳入代表性不足的群体的承诺，包括许多来自本科院校的学生。后续跟踪显示，他们的项目毕业生在STEM领域攻读高级学位的成功率令人印象深刻。

项目成果

Search for heavy resonances decaying to a W or Z boson and a Higgs boson in the qq¯(′)bb¯ final state in pp collisions at s=13 TeV with the ATLAS detector

使用 ATLAS 探测器，在 s=13 TeV 的 pp 碰撞中，搜索 qq(-)bb 最终态衰变为 W 或 Z 玻色子和希格斯玻色子的重共振

• DOI: 10.1016/j.physletb.2017.09.066
• 发表时间: 2017
• 期刊: Physics Letters B
• 影响因子: 4.4
• 作者: Aaboud, M.;Aad, G.;Abbott, B.;Abdinov, O.;Abeloos, B.;Abidi, S.H.;AbouZeid, O.S.;Abraham, N.L.;Abramowicz, H.;Abreu, H.
• 通讯作者: Abreu, H.