Investigations in Proton-Proton Collisions at the Large Hadron Collider

ATLAS实验是在世界上能量最高的对撞机——位于瑞士日内瓦附近的欧洲核子研究中心实验室的大型强子对撞机（LHC）上进行的。高能碰撞使最小距离尺度的探测器和早期宇宙环境的再现成为可能。大型强子对撞机既是一项发现，也是一台探测标准模型的精密机器。迄今为止，大型强子对撞机最伟大的发现是探测到希格斯玻色子并对其性质进行了详细测量。密歇根州立大学高能物理小组自1994年以来一直是ATLAS合作的成员，并参与了许多探测器组件和电子系统的建设。他们参与了许多物理分析，包括对希格斯玻色子和其他标准模型最终态的测量，以及对标准模型之外的物理的探索，这可能会导致对我们对宇宙的理解中许多悬而未决的问题的基本理解。其中包括为什么物质比反物质多，以及为什么引力与其他力相比如此微弱。除了物理目标外，还计划了针对不同年龄的学童以及公众的多种教育和推广活动。该奖项提出的工作将提高标准模型测量的精度，特别是那些与希格斯玻色子、Z玻色子和顶夸克产生有关的测量，此外还将充分探索可能的新物理的参数空间。科学分析大致可以分为五大类：寻找新的、重的共振；希格斯玻色子产生和衰变的研究；大质量钻杆的精密微分截面测量；顶夸克的物理学；以及强相互作用的研究，特别是与玻色子和重夸克相关的射流产生。有了这份合同，Run-2的分析将使用Run-3的数据完成和扩展，重要的探测器升级将根据ATLAS在高亮度时代收集数据的需要进行。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 ATLAS experiment operates at the highest energy collider in the world, the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at the CERN laboratory near Geneva, Switzerland. The high energy collisions allow probes of the smallest distance scales and the recreation of the environment of the early universe. The LHC is both a discovery and a precision machine probing the standard model. The greatest discovery (so far) at the LHC has been the detection of the Higgs boson and the detailed measurement of its properties. The Michigan State University high energy physics group has been a member of the ATLAS collaboration since 1994 and has participated in the construction of many of the detector’s components and electronic systems. They have been involved in many physics analyses, including measurements of the Higgs boson, and other standard model final states, as well as searches for physics beyond the standard model that may result in a fundamental understanding of many of the open questions remaining in our understanding of the universe. These include why there is more matter than anti-matter and why gravity is so weak compared to the other forces. In addition to the physics goals, multiple education and outreach activities that target schoolchildren of various ages as well as the general public are planned.The work proposed in this award will improve the precision of standard model measurements, particularly those relating to the Higgs boson, the Z boson, and top quark production, in addition to fully exploring the parameter space of possible new physics. The scientific analyses can be broadly grouped into five general categories: the search for new, heavy resonances; the study of Higgs boson production and decay; the precision differential cross-section measurements of high mass Drell-Yan; the physics of top quarks; and the study of strong interactions, especially jet production in association with bosons and heavy quarks. With this award, the Run-2 analyses will be completed and extended using the data from Run-3, and important detector upgrades will be carried out as needed for ATLAS to collect data in the high luminosity era.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.