LHCB Operations and Computing

粒子物理学标准模型（SM）的发展是一项重大的智力成就。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进一步证实了这个模型的有效性。然而，标准模型留下了许多悬而未决的问题，包括为什么物质在宇宙中占主导地位（CP违反），夸克和轻子的质量值，以及暗物质的性质等等。大多数解释都需要新的现象，我们称之为超越标准模型物理学（BSM），而欧洲核子研究中心（CERN）的大型强子对撞机实验就是为了探索这种现象而设计的。该合同提供设备操作、维护和计算支持，使美国科学家能够参与欧洲核子研究中心的大型强子对撞机实验。大型强子对撞机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欧洲核子研究中心实验室运行，是回答这些BSM问题的最重要的设施之一。LHCb实验是LHC的四个大型实验之一，旨在详细研究含有b或c夸克的强子的衰变。目标是通过检查包含这些夸克的强子的性质，来确定标准模型之外的新物理的存在。新的物理，或者新的力，可以通过粒子来表现，但还没有被发现，它们的存在将改变含有b和c夸克的强子的衰变速率和CP违反不对称性，从而允许间接观察到新的现象。美国的研究小组在LHCb的物理分析、硬件开发和计算方面发挥着主导作用。该合同将支持nsf支持的小组分享实验所需的公共项目，为美国交付的组件提供维护和操作支持，LHCb第2层计算设施的共同定位，以及优化实验操作的研发。该奖项的广泛影响涵盖了许多领域，从研究生和本科生的学生研究经验，到非常活跃的QuarkNet中心和高中教师和学生的大师班项目。源源不断的本科生一直在参与的大学实验室工作，研究生也直接参与仪器开发和数据分析。本科生和研究生将直接参与美国负责的探测器组件的制造、测试和维护。早期的职业和非传统的研究人员将是这个令人兴奋的研究项目不可或缺的参与者。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The development of the Standard Model (SM) of particle physics is a major intellectual achievement. The validity of this model was further confirmed by the discovery of the Higgs boson at the Large Hadron Collider at CERN. However, the Standard Model leaves open many questions, including why matter dominates over anti-matter in the Universe (CP violation), the values of the masses of quarks and leptons, and the properties of dark matter, among others. Most explanations require new phenomena, which we call Beyond the Standard Model Physics (BSM), and which the LHCb experiment at CERN has been designed to explore. This award provides facility operations, maintenance, and computing support to enable the participation of U.S. scientists in the LHCb experiment at CERN. 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 LHCb experiment is one of four large experiments at the LHC and is designed to study in detail the decays of hadrons containing b or c quarks. The goal is to identify the existence of new physics beyond the Standard Model by examining the properties of hadrons containing these quarks. The 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, allowing new phenomena to be observed indirectly. U.S. groups play a leading role in the physics analysis, hardware development, and computing of LHCb. This award will support the NSF-supported groups' share of common items necessary for the experiment, maintenance and operations support for U.S.-delivered components, co-location of an LHCb Tier-2 computing facility, and R&D to optimize the operation of the experiment. The broader impacts of this award cover many areas, from student research experiences for graduate and undergraduate students, to very active QuarkNet Centers and Masterclass programs for high school teachers and students. A steady stream of undergraduates has been working in the participating university laboratories, where graduate students also have direct engagement in both instrumentation development as well as data analysis. Undergraduate and graduate students will be direct participants in the fabrication, testing, and maintenance of detector components under U.S. responsibility. Early career 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.