Experimental Physics Research Program at Columbia University/Nevis Laboratories

哥伦比亚大学高能物理小组的活动包括三个主要项目：大型强子对撞机的ATLAS实验，费米实验室的MicroBooNE和短基线中微子（SBN）项目，费米实验室和南达科他州的深地下中微子实验（DUNE）。该小组还参与了相干米尔斯船长（CCM）实验，在DUNE建设中发挥了作用，并在ATLAS高亮度升级中发挥了重要作用。粒子物理学研究从亚原子到宇宙尺度的基本问题。标准模型（SM）被认为只是一个近似的理论，而超越标准模型的新物理学将掌握在理解基础理论方面取得进展的关键。这项工作解决了一些最重要的问题：观察到的希格斯玻色子是标准模型预测的那个吗？如何解释弱尺度和普朗克尺度之间的巨大差异？什么是宇宙中的暗物质和暗能量？中微子扇区是否存在CP违逆？它是否是宇宙中物质-反物质不对称的起源？为什么中微子的质量如此之小？这个项目将超越SM，在可能的最高能量或通过精确测量。超对称（SUSY），如果存在的话，可能会产生暗物质的候选者。暗能量的神秘可能与在大型强子对撞机上发现的希格斯玻色子有关。如果存在额外的时空维度，它们可能在大型强子对撞机上被探测到。这个哥伦比亚大学的研究项目还将解决基本粒子的本质问题，如希格斯玻色子（ATLAS）和中微子（MicroBooNE， SBN， DUNE和CCM），并通过精确测量，探测更高的能量尺度。MicroBooNE和未来的长基线和短基线中微子振荡实验将解决与中微子种类数量以及中微子和反中微子之间基本对称性有关的未解之谜。DUNE将进一步探索通过罕见过程（如质子衰变）表现出来的新物理。哥伦比亚大学小组将在现有的教育和推广工作的基础上，让高中生、高中教师和本科生全面了解和研究高能物理。该小组还将通过个别教师的外展努力（讲座，参观等），结构化的项目，如哥伦比亚大学本科生研究体验（REU）网站，以及他们的哈德逊科学系列公开讲座，努力将科学的兴奋带给公众。哥伦比亚大学项目的一个目标是让代表性不足的群体参与这些活动。哥伦比亚大学的硬件开发工作为博士后、研究生和本科生提供了宝贵的技能和最先进仪器的实践经验，这是一个越来越难得的机会。此外，该小组最近在DUNE的读出和触发方面的努力使物理学和计算机科学之间的新的跨学科合作成为可能。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 Columbia University High Energy Physics group covers activities in three major programs: the ATLAS experiment at the LHC, MicroBooNE and the Short Baseline Neutrino (SBN) program at Fermilab, and the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE) at Fermilab and South Dakota. The group also participates in the Coherent Captain Mills (CCM) experiment, has roles in DUNE construction, and a major role in the ATLAS High Luminosity upgrades. Particle physics addresses fundamental questions at a range from subatomic to cosmic scales. The Standard Model (SM) is believed to be only an approximate theory, and new physics beyond the SM will hold the key to making progress in understanding the underlying theory. Some of the most important questions that are addressed by this work are: Is the observed Higgs Boson the one predicted by the Standard Model? How does one explain the large disparity between the weak scale and the Planck scale? What are the dark matter and dark energy in the universe? Is there CP violation in the neutrino sector and is it the origin of the matter-antimatter asymmetry in the Universe? Why are neutrino masses so small? This project will look beyond the SM at the highest energies possible or through precision measurements. Supersymmetry (SUSY), if it exists, could yield candidates for dark matter. The mystery of dark energy may be related to the Higgs boson, which was discovered at the LHC. If extra spacetime dimensions exist, they may be accessible at the LHC. This Columbia research program will also tackle the question of the nature of fundamental particles, such as the Higgs boson (ATLAS) and neutrinos (MicroBooNE, SBN, DUNE, and CCM), and, through precision measurements, probe higher energy scales. MicroBooNE and the future long and short-baseline neutrino oscillation experiments will address unanswered questions related to the number of neutrino species and fundamental symmetries between neutrinos and antineutrinos. DUNE will furthermore probe for new physics which manifests itself through rare processes, such as proton decay.The Columbia group will build on their existing education and outreach efforts, engaging the full spectrum from high school students, high school teachers, and undergraduates in understanding and doing high energy physics. The group will also invest in efforts to bring the excitement of the science to the general public through individual faculty outreach efforts (lectures, tours, etc.), structured programs like Columbia’s Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) Site, and their Science-on-Hudson series of public lectures. A goal of the Columbia program is to engage under-represented groups to participate in these activities. The Columbia hardware development efforts provide postdocs, graduate students and undergraduate students with valuable skills and hands-on experience with state-of-the-art instrumentation, an increasingly rare opportunity. Furthermore, the group’s recent efforts in readout and trigger for DUNE have enabled new, cross-disciplinary collaboration between physics and computer science.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.