Investigations in Elementary Particle Physics and Particle Astrophysics

概述：粒子物理学考虑范围广泛的科学问题，从亚原子到宇宙尺度。该奖项支持的密歇根州立大学（MSU）小组通过在加速器上进行最高可用碰撞能量的实验，通过对中微子非常罕见的相互作用的研究，以及通过对天体物理源产生的高能伽马射线的研究来研究这些问题。这些研究与理解宇宙大爆炸后那转瞬即逝的一瞬间的最基本的宇宙有关，也与我们为什么看到现在的宇宙有关。为了迎接这一探索的挑战，新的理论被提出，新的探测器和加速器被开发和建造，新的计算和分析方法被创造，所有这些都对短期内培养年轻科学家和长期内提高技术对社会的效益具有重要的更广泛的影响。密歇根州立大学小组外展活动的一个值得注意的因素是在大型强子对撞机（LHC）的ATLAS实验上发展了一个天文馆展览，该展览受到了好评。ATLAS本身正在开发一个关于暗物质的节目，由密歇根州立大学领导和参与。在本提案所涵盖的资助期内，该小组将继续改进和创新类似的节目，这些节目可以在全国、国际和当地播出，将高能物理的兴奋带给各种各样的观众。在瑞士日内瓦欧洲核子研究中心（CERN）的大型强子对撞机（LHC）进行最高可用碰撞能量实验的一个目标是了解希格斯玻色子的性质，希格斯玻色子是2012年在那里发现的，并发现超越标准模型的新物理学。标准模型是目前非常有效，但不完整的理论模型，它为我们目前的粒子物理学知识提供了很多见解。未来三年，LHC物理项目将从碰撞能量为8太电子伏（TeV）的数据采集和运行过渡到扩展的操作和数据采集，能量几乎是碰撞能量的两倍，13-14 TeV。来自美国的一千多名科学家参与了这项科学计划，进行了几项重大实验。密歇根州立大学小组是欧洲核子研究中心ATLAS实验的重要参与者之一。小组成员分别负责物理分析、探测器操作、协作管理、实验探测器升级等工作。从分析的角度来看，该小组专注于标准模型物理学的研究，并通过研究量子色动力学（QCD）、希格斯物理学、顶夸克物理学以及寻找新的奇异态来超越标准模型。该团队还为CTEQ（理论-实验QCD协调项目）做出了重大贡献。该小组长期参与中微子物理学，现在专注于NOvA（主注入器（NuMI）中的中微子）离轴（电子）中微子外观实验)实验和LArIAT（测试束中的液体氩气）测试项目，两者都与费米国家加速器实验室有关。中微子质量和混合的本质已经超越了标准模型，而NOvA实验是下一个解决这些问题的美国主要实验。最后，密歇根州立大学小组是位于墨西哥的高海拔水切伦科夫实验的成员。作为一个伽马射线天文台，HAWC将探测宇宙中的极端环境，提供星系内外非热过程的视图。该组织正把精力集中在电子和数据库开发上。虽然探测器没有配备齐全的仪器，但它仍在采集数据。

Overview: Particle physics considers a vast range of scientific questions, from subatomic to cosmic scales. The Michigan State University (MSU) Group supported through this award investigates such questions through experimentation at the highest available collision energies at accelerators, through studies of the very rare interactions of neutrinos, and through studies of high energy gamma rays produced by astrophysical sources. These studies are relevant to the understanding of the Universe at its most fundamental level in the fleeting fraction of a second just after the Big Bang, and to why we see the Universe as we do now. To meet the challenges of this quest, new theories are advanced, new detectors and accelerators are developed and built, and new computing and analytical methodologies are created, all of which have significant broader impact for the training of young scientists in the near term and the advancement of technological benefits to society over the longer term. A notable element of the MSU Group's outreach activities has been the development of a planetarium show on the ATLAS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) that has been well received. ATLAS itself is developing a show on dark matter with MSU leadership and participation. During the funding period covered by this proposal, the group will continue to improve and innovate on similar programs that can be shown nationally, internationally and locally, bringing the excitement of high energy physics to a large variety of audiences.A goal of experiments at the highest available collision energies at the LHC at CERN, Geneva, Switzerland is to understand the nature of the Higgs Boson, recently discovered there in 2012, and to discover new physics beyond the Standard Model, the current very effective, but not complete, theoretical model that provides insight into much of our present knowledge of particle physics. The next three years represent a transition of the LHC physics program from data taking and operation at a collision energy of eight Teraelectronvolt (TeV) to extended operations and data taking at nearly double the energy, 13-14 TeV. Over a thousand scientists from the United States are involved with this scientific program on several major experiments. The Michigan State group is one of the important participants in the ATLAS experiment at CERN. Group members hold responsible positions in physics analysis, detector operations, collaboration management, and in the upgrade of the experimental detector. Analytically, the group is focusing on studies of Standard Model physics and beyond the standard model through investigations in Quantum Chromodynamics (QCD), Higgs physics, top quark physics, and searches for new exotic states. The group has also made significant contributions to CTEQ, the Coordinated Theoretical-Experimental QCD project. The group has a long-standing involvement in neutrino physics, now focused on the NOvA (Neutrinos at the Main Injector (NuMI) Off-axis (electron) neutrino Appearance Experiment) experiment and the LArIAT (Liquid Argon in a Testbeam) test program, both associated with Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory. The nature of neutrino mass and mixing looms as science already beyond the standard model and the NOvA experiment is the next major US-based experiment addressing these issues. Finally, the Michigan State group is a member of the HAWC (High Altitude Water Cerenkov) Experiment located in Mexico. A gamma ray observatory, HAWC will probe extreme environments in the universe, providing a view of non-thermal processes in the galaxy and beyond. The group is focusing its efforts on electronics and database development. Although the detector is not fully instrumented, it is nevertheless taking data.