New Interactions and New Particles with LHCb

20世纪的主要智力成就之一是粒子物理标准模型(SM)的发展。这个模型成功地将当时已知的所有基本粒子归入具有相似量子性质的群组的层次结构中。在欧洲核子研究中心的大型强子对撞机上发现的希格斯玻色子证实了这个模型到目前为止的有效性。然而，目前存在的标准模型留下了许多关于宇宙的问题。这些包括为什么宇宙中物质支配反物质(CP破坏)，基本成分，夸克和轻子的质量值，夸克之间和轻子之间的混合的大小，以及暗物质的性质。大多数解释都要求存在新的粒子、对称性或力，我们称之为超越标准模型物理(BSM)。该项目旨在探索BSM物理。LHC是世界上首屈一指的高能物理粒子加速器，目前在瑞士日内瓦附近的CERN实验室运行，该实验室是回答这些BSM问题的最重要设施之一。锡拉丘兹大学的小组是LHCb的合作成员，LHCb是专门为研究大型强子对撞机上含有b或c夸克的强子衰变而设计的实验。LHCb的目标是通过检查包含这些夸克的强子的性质来识别自然界中的新物理。新的物理，或新的力，可以由尚未发现的粒子表现出来，粒子的存在将改变衰减率和CP破坏包含b和c夸克的强子的不对称性，从而允许间接观察到新的现象。锡拉丘兹小组在LHCb的物理分析中发挥着主导作用。他们正在进行的分析揭示了我们对标准模型理解的重要方面，包括CP不对称，这可以解释宇宙中物质相对于反物质的优势。此外，该小组是设计、开发和建造一种名为UT的LHCb新跟踪探测器子系统的牵头机构之一，这将使LHCb实验的数据吞吐量增加一个数量级，使LHCb实验能够更深入地探索BSM物理。UT是最先进的硅跟踪探测器，它将在提供粒子的快速动量测量方面发挥关键作用，其中许多粒子来自感兴趣的b和c强子衰变。这项工作的更广泛影响跨越几个领域，从面向研究生和本科生的学生研究体验，到非常活跃的QuarkNet中心和面向高中教师和学生的大师班计划。多年来，源源不断的本科生一直在该集团的实验室工作，在那里，确保研究生直接参与仪器开发和数据分析是一种传统。本科生和研究生将直接参与正在建设中的UT探测器的制造和测试。升级工作将整合到锡拉丘兹QuarkNet计划中，让高中教师和高中生参与。该探测器是LHCb升级的一个组成部分，对于LHCb继续产生尖端物理结果至关重要。年轻的和非传统的研究人员将是这一激动人心的研究计划的不可或缺的参与者。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

One of the major intellectual achievements of the 20th century was the development of the Standard Model (SM) of particle physics. This model succeeded in classifying all of the elementary particles known at the time into a hierarchy of groups having similar quantum properties. The validity of this model to date was confirmed by the discovery of the Higgs boson at the Large Hadron Collider at CERN. However, the Standard Model as it currently exists, leaves open many questions about the universe. These include why matter dominates over anti-matter in the Universe (CP violation), the values of the masses of the fundamental constituents, the quarks and the leptons, the size of the mixings among the quarks, and separately among the leptons, and the properties of dark matter. Most explanations require the presence of new particles, symmetries or forces, which we call Beyond the Standard Model Physics (BSM). This project is designed to pursue searches for BSM physics.The LHC is the premier High Energy Physics particle accelerator in the world and is currently operating at the CERN laboratory near Geneva Switzerland, one of the foremost facilities for answering these BSM questions. The Syracuse University group is a collaboration member of LHCb, an experiment designed specifically to study the decays of hadrons containing b or c quarks at the LHC. The goal of LHCb is to identify new physics in nature by examining the properties of hadrons containing these quarks. New physics, or new forces, can be manifest by particles, as yet to be discovered, whose presence would modify decay rates and CP violating asymmetries of hadrons containing the b and c quarks, and thus allow new phenomena to be observed indirectly. The Syracuse group plays a leading role in the physics analysis of LHCb. Their ongoing analyses shed light on important aspects of our understanding of the Standard Model, including CP asymmetry which could explain the preponderance of matter in the universe as opposed to antimatter. Additionally, the group is one of the lead institutions in the design, development, and construction of a new tracking detector subsystem for LHCb called the UT, which will increase the data throughput of the experiment by an order of magnitude, allowing the LHCb experiment to probe BSM physics more deeply. The UT is a state of the art silicon tracking detector, which will play a crucial role in providing fast momentum measurements of particles, many of which are from b and c hadron decays of interest. The broader impacts of this work span several areas, from student research experiences for grads and undergrads, to a very active QuarkNet Center and Masterclass programs for high school teachers and students. For many years a steady stream of undergraduates has been working in the group's laboratories, where it is a tradition to ensure that graduate students have direct engagement in both instrumentation development as well as data analysis. Undergraduate and graduate students will be direct participants in the fabrication and testing of the UT detector that is under construction. The upgrade work will be integrated into the Syracuse QuarkNet program to involve high school teachers and high school students. This detector is an integral part of the LHCb Upgrade and is essential for LHCb to continue to produce cutting edge physics results. Young and nontraditional researchers will be integral participants in this exciting program of research.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.