Experimental Research in Elementary Particle Physics

粒子物理学专注于寻找宇宙最基本的组成部分以及约束它们的规则。最近发现的希格斯玻色子是希格斯场的激发，希格斯场渗透到整个空间，并将质量赋予宇宙中的其他基本粒子。其他场，如那些携带电磁力和核力的场，与希格斯场相互作用，研究这些相互作用对希格斯场的性质有重要的洞察。具有讽刺意味的是，引力--我们在日常生活中最熟悉的力--与希格斯粒子之间的相互作用几乎不被理解，因为引力和其他已知力之间的强度存在巨大差异。希格斯场还可能与将我们的银河系引力捆绑在一起的神秘物质以及其他尚未被发现的自然成分相互作用。大型强子对撞机上的CMS探测器是世界上最强大和最先进的相机，可以观测到人类迄今取得的最高能量的质子碰撞；记录下结果，供CMS实验者进行详细研究。罗格斯大学高能物理小组的成员对该装置本身的建造、维护和持续改进至关重要。他们发起并指导了几项对收集到的数据的研究，其中包括导致2012年发现希格斯玻色子的研究。现在和未来几年正在收集的数据将使我们能够更好地了解自然界的基本结构，也许包括对基本力量力量的巨大差异的洞察。罗格斯高能物理小组将继续走在这些研究的前沿。罗格斯高能物理小组正在与欧洲核子研究中心的CMS实验一起，在强子对撞机物理的前沿开展几个项目，研究13TeV质心能量下的质子-质子相互作用，这是能量前沿。他们继续创新和实施新的数据分析技术，以寻找轻子、光子、喷流和丢失能量的新物理特征。该小组在CMS方面有领导的历史，包括担任主要分析小组的联合召集人，并领导探测器建设和操作方面的努力。他们与理论家密切合作，提出新的想法，并通过他们的努力产生了丰富的物理分析和解释程序。他们计划继续这一创新和领导地位，以进一步提高探测器和数据分析的能力。随着CMS探测器的老化，将需要设计和实施升级。这项奖励将允许罗格斯大学的团队创造他们为像素探测器设计的前端电子设备的改进版本，以及帮助测试和安装强子热量计的电子设备。他们还在进行长期升级的研发工作，特别是外跟踪器和快速通道触发器。他们计划为升级提供一个生产和测试设施。罗格斯小组举办了大量对社区产生广泛影响的外展活动。通过罗格斯大学的QuarkNet计划，他们在罗格斯大学为高中教师和学生举办暑期讲习班。来自新泽西州各地的学生和教师分析大型强子对撞机数据并建造宇宙射线望远镜。他们指导罗格斯大学和NSF REU项目的本科生，以及合格的高中生。这些学生与该组织的学生和博士后密切合作，为正在进行的研究和分析做出贡献。为了解决女性在STEM领域代表性不足的问题，他们正在帮助制定计划，为在校和大学前的女性提供研究机会，并努力增加女性对科学的参与。他们积极推动印度和撒哈拉以南非洲的粒子物理项目。在得到高中物理教师的反馈后，他们正在为新泽西州的高中物理教师制定教学计划，这些教师需要帮助教授大学水平的物理课程。他们正在与新泽西州的自由科学中心一起开始向更广泛的社区延伸，以准备与粒子物理相关的展品。他们继续通过在当地高中、图书馆和其他场所频繁的演讲来传达粒子物理学的兴奋。

Particle physics is focused on the search for the most basic building blocks of the Universe and the rules that bind them. The recently discovered Higgs boson is an excitation of a Higgs field that permeates all of space and gives mass to the other fundamental particles in the Universe. Other fields, such as those that carry the electromagnetic and nuclear forces, interact with this Higgs field, and studying these interactions gives important insight into the properties of the Higgs field. Ironically the interaction of gravity - the force we are most familiar with in our daily life - with the Higgs is hardly understood at all, due to the vast difference in strength between gravity and the other known forces. The Higgs field may also interact with the mysterious material which gravitationally binds our galaxy together, and other as yet undiscovered constituents of nature. The CMS detector at the Large Hadron Collider functions as the world's most powerful and sophisticated camera, observing collisions of protons at the highest energies humanity has yet achieved; recording the outcomes for detailed study by CMS experimentalists. The members of the high energy physics group at Rutgers University have been crucial to the construction, maintenance, and continued improvement of the device itself. They have initiated and guided several studies of the data collected, including ones that led to the discovery of the Higgs boson in 2012. The data being gathered now and in the coming years will allow a greater understanding of the basic structure of nature, perhaps including insights into the huge difference in the strengths of the fundamental forces. The Rutgers high energy physics group will continue to be at the forefront of these investigations.The Rutgers high energy physics group is carrying out several projects at the cutting edge of hadron collider physics with the CMS experiment at CERN, studying proton-proton interactions at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV, the energy frontier. They continue to innovate and implement new data analysis techniques in searches for new physics signatures with leptons, photons, jets and missing energy. The group has a history of leadership in CMS, including service as co-conveners of major analysis groups and leading efforts on detector construction and operations. They work closely with theorists to bring forth new ideas and a rich program of physics analyses and interpretations has originated from their efforts. They plan to continue this innovation and leadership to further improve the capabilities of the detector and data analyses. As the CMS detector ages, upgrades will need to be designed and implemented. This award will allow the Rutgers group to create an improved version of front-end electronics they designed for the pixel detector, as well as helping test and install the electronics for the hadron calorimeter. They are also performing R&D work on longer-term upgrades, specifically the Outer Tracker and a fast Track Trigger. They plan to host a production and testing facility for the upgrades. The Rutgers group hosts a large number of outreach activities which have a broad impact on the community. Through the Rutgers QuarkNet program they run summer workshops at Rutgers for high-school teachers and students. Students and teachers from across New Jersey analyze LHC data and build cosmic-ray telescopes. They mentor undergraduate students from Rutgers and the NSF REU program, as well as qualified high school students. These students work closely with the group's students and postdocs and contribute to ongoing studies and analyses. To combat the underrepresentation of women in STEM fields, they are helping develop programs to provide research opportunities to collegiate and pre-college women, and working to increase the participation of women in science. They are active in promoting particle physics programs in India and Sub-Saharan Africa. After feedback from high school physics teachers, they are developing instructional programs for New Jersey high school physics teachers who need help teaching university-level physics courses. They are initiating outreach to the broader community with the Liberty Science Center in New Jersey to prepare particle physics related exhibits. They continue to convey the excitement of particle physics with frequent talks at local high schools, libraries, and other venues.