Warwick Elementary Particle Physics Capital Equipment 2016

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The proposed research will contribute to the design and construction of detectors that will enable measurements to elucidate the nature of fundamental physics and the universe we live in. Warwick has experience of building detector components, which we seek to expand considerably with the modest investments requested here. The devices we intend to design and build will contribute to three distinct areas of science: precision Higgs, Standard Model and new phenomena searches at the LHC, ILC and FCC; the physics of neutrinos with the T2K, LBNE, HyperK and SuperNEMO experiments and CP violation at the LHC, ILC and FCC. Warwick has invested substantially in this research programme by committing significant lab space, academic/PDRA/student time and, in particular, with the recent appointment of a new physicist engineer and technician. These are experts from a background in both semi-conductor and optical physics. The equipment requested would have: a) a large, immediate, impact on our research programme and, b) open up significant new physics opportunities. All items requested either do not exist across the Warwick Science Faculty or are not available for general use. In more detail:o The Large Hadron Collider was designed to search for the Higgs boson and new exotic forms of matter, motivated by shortcomings of the Standard Model. Now a Higgs boson has been found and the quest continues to understand its exact nature and to search for new phenomena. The laboratory hardware will be used to develop and test new semiconductor devices for the future ATLAS ITk detector. During the current initial stage of ITk assembly, we are establishing ourselves as the leading Quality Assurance and Quality Control group for the ITk silicon strip modules by constructing thermal cycling equipment which requires accurate metrology to understand the effect of heating/cooling. We would use this equipment and expertise in the development of the future International Linear Collider (ILC) and Future Circular Collider (FCC) semiconductor detectors. We will use the requested computing equipment to analyse the data from the experiment. In particular, we will contribute to the precision measurements of the Higgs boson and to searches for new phenomena such as unexpected decays and production mechanisms of the Higgs boson. o Neutrinos are fundamental particles that may hold the key to an understanding of the early Universe. Our experimental neutrino physics programme aims to measure the fundamental properties of the particle by two different approaches: a) by observing neutrinos change (or `oscillate') from one type into another into via neutrino beam experiments operating on very long baselines (up to 1200 km) ; b) observing very rare neutrinoless double-beta decay processes. A common theme running through much of this work is the application of light-detection and readout as a way of reconstructing the kinematics of a neutrino interaction in a detection medium. To support this work we have established an optical laboratory which, in the past delivered light readout R&D for the T2K project and, is currently supporting our work on a light calibration system for the Hyper-K experiment and readout of the photosensor digitisers for the DUNE project. The requested infrastructure items will allow the expansion of our roles in the construction phase of future projects (e.g. DUNE/Hyper-K) and ensure we continue to play a full part in the analysis of data from T2K and DUNE/Hyper-K prototype detectors. o Our group is also active in generic detector development which both underpins the experimental programme outlined above and which spawns opportunities for interdisciplinary R&D with potential industrial spin-offs.