Elementary Particle Physics Using Electronic Detectors

该提案来自纽约大学集团，要求为两个不同的项目提供资金：寻找一种罕见的对称性破坏过程，这种过程具有发现标准模型之外的新物理的前景，并研究100 GeV至10 TeV的天文伽马射线和宇宙射线。认识到解决新物理问题的机会，代表20个机构的强有力的合作（MECO），已经形成并正在为名为“罕见的对称性破坏过程”（RSVP）的项目提供资金。RSVP代表了一个机会，使大学社区做出非凡的重要发现。目前RSVP的范围包括130名科学家，约60%来自美国，其他来自加拿大，瑞士，意大利，日本和俄罗斯，沿着预计将有100名研究生和博士后，MECO观测到的μ子到电子的转换将是违反μ子和电子型轻子数的过程的第一个证据，并且不能用标准模型来解释。粒子物理学，扩展到包括大质量中微子。这将是涉及新力量的以前未知的物理过程的直接证据。这项实验的灵敏度是目前实验的10，000倍，请求的第二个组成部分是在MILAGRO伽马射线观测站上开展工作，研究最高能量的伽马射线和宇宙射线，其能量的通量对宇宙中发生的一些最高能的过程很敏感。MILAGRO是一个大型的水切伦科夫计数器，是第一个能够在这些能量下连续监测整个头顶天空的探测器。

This proposal is from the NYU group and requests funding for two distinct projects: a search for a rare symmetry violating process that has the prospect of discovering new physics beyond the Standard Model and a study of astronomical gamma rays and cosmic rays of 100 GeV to 10 TeV.Recognizing an opportunity to address new physics, a strong collaboration (MECO) representing 20 institutions, has formed and is proposing funding for the project entitled "Rare Symmetry Violating Processes" (RSVP). RSVP represents an opportunity to empower the university community to make discoveries of extraordinary importance. The current scope of RSVP includes 130 scientists, about 60% from the United States, and the others from Canada, Switzerland, Italy, Japan, and Russia, along with an expected 100 graduate students and post-docs.Observation of Muon to Electron COnversion by MECO would be the first evidence for a process that violates muon and electron type lepton number and that cannot be explained by the Standard Model of particle physics, extended to include massive neutrinos. It would be direct evidence for previously unknown physics processes involving new forces. This experiment is proposed to achieve a sensitivity 10,000 times that of current experiments.The second component of the request is work on the MILAGRO gamma ray observatory to study the highest energy gamma rays and cosmic rays at energies where the fluxes are sensitive to some of the most energetic processes occurring in the universe. MILAGRO is a large water Cherenkov counter and is the first detector capable of continuously monitoring the full overhead sky at these energies.