Investigations in Elementary Particle Physics and Particle Astrophysics

概述：粒子物理学考虑了从亚原子到宇宙尺度的广泛的科学问题。由该奖项支持的密歇根州立大学(MSU)小组通过在加速器上以最高可用碰撞能量进行实验，通过研究非常罕见的中微子相互作用，以及通过研究天体物理源产生的高能伽马射线来研究这些问题。这些研究与在宇宙大爆炸后极短的时间内对宇宙最基本的层次的理解有关，也与我们为什么会看到现在的宇宙有关。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，创造了新的计算和分析方法，所有这些都对短期内青年科学家的培训和长期内促进技术惠及社会产生了重大而广泛的影响。密歇根州立大学小组外展活动的一个显著内容是在大型强子对撞机(LHC)上发展了一个关于ATLAS实验的天文展览，受到了好评。阿特拉斯本身正在密歇根州立大学的领导和参与下开发一场关于暗物质的展览。在这项提案涵盖的资助期内，该小组将继续改进和创新类似的项目，这些项目可以在国家、国际和当地放映，将高能物理的兴奋带给广大观众。在瑞士日内瓦欧洲核子研究中心的大型强子对撞机上，以最高可用碰撞能进行实验的一个目标是了解希格斯玻色子的本质，最近在那里发现了2012年在那里发现的希格斯玻色子，并在标准模型之外发现新的物理学。标准模型是目前非常有效但不完整的理论模型，它为我们提供了对粒子物理的许多现有知识的洞察。在接下来的三年里，大型强子对撞机物理计划将从以8太电子伏特(TeV)的碰撞能量进行数据获取和操作过渡到扩展操作和以近两倍的能量(13-14 TeV)获取数据。来自美国的一千多名科学家参与了这一科学计划，进行了几项重大实验。密歇根州立大学是欧洲核子研究中心ATLAS实验的重要参与者之一。小组成员负责物理分析、探测器操作、协作管理以及实验探测器的升级。在分析方面，该小组专注于标准模型物理的研究，并通过量子色动力学(QCD)、希格斯物理、顶夸克物理的研究超越标准模型，并寻找新的奇异状态。该小组还为CTEQ(理论与实验相结合的QCD项目)做出了重大贡献。该小组长期参与中微子物理，目前专注于NOVA(主喷射器(NUMI)离轴(电子)中微子外观实验)实验和Larie(测试束中的液体Argon)测试计划，这两个实验都与费米国家加速器实验室有关。中微子质量和混合的本质作为科学已经超越了标准模型，而Nova实验是解决这些问题的下一个美国重大实验。最后，密歇根州立大学是位于墨西哥的HAWC(高海拔水切伦科夫)实验的成员。作为伽马射线天文台，HAWC将探测宇宙中的极端环境，提供银河系内外非热过程的视图。该集团正将重点放在电子产品和数据库开发上。尽管探测器没有完全配备仪器，但它仍然在获取数据。

Overview: Particle physics considers a vast range of scientific questions, from subatomic to cosmic scales. The Michigan State University (MSU) Group supported through this award investigates such questions through experimentation at the highest available collision energies at accelerators, through studies of the very rare interactions of neutrinos, and through studies of high energy gamma rays produced by astrophysical sources. These studies 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. A notable element of the MSU Group's outreach activities has been the development of a planetarium show on the ATLAS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) that has been well received. ATLAS itself is developing a show on dark matter with MSU leadership and participation. During the funding period covered by this proposal, the group will continue to improve and innovate on similar programs that can be shown nationally, internationally and locally, bringing the excitement of high energy physics to a large variety of audiences.A goal of experiments at the highest available collision energies at 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, the current very effective, but not complete, theoretical model that provides insight into much of our present knowledge of particle physics. The next three years represent a transition of the LHC physics program from data taking and operation at a collision energy of eight Teraelectronvolt (TeV) 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 Michigan State group is one of the important participants in the ATLAS experiment at CERN. Group members hold responsible positions in physics analysis, detector operations, collaboration management, and in the upgrade of the experimental detector. Analytically, the group is focusing on studies of Standard Model physics and beyond the standard model through investigations in Quantum Chromodynamics (QCD), Higgs physics, top quark physics, and searches for new exotic states. The group has also made significant contributions to CTEQ, the Coordinated Theoretical-Experimental QCD project. The group has a long-standing involvement in neutrino physics, now focused on the NOvA (Neutrinos at the Main Injector (NuMI) Off-axis (electron) neutrino Appearance Experiment) experiment and the LArIAT (Liquid Argon in a Testbeam) test program, both associated with Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory. The nature of neutrino mass and mixing looms as science already beyond the standard model and the NOvA experiment is the next major US-based experiment addressing these issues. Finally, the Michigan State group is a member of the HAWC (High Altitude Water Cerenkov) Experiment located in Mexico. A gamma ray observatory, HAWC will probe extreme environments in the universe, providing a view of non-thermal processes in the galaxy and beyond. The group is focusing its efforts on electronics and database development. Although the detector is not fully instrumented, it is nevertheless taking data.