Experimental Particle Physics Consolidated Grant (2012-2016)

实验粒子物理学研究的是极小的尺寸，或相当于极高的能量。我们试图从基本力和粒子的角度来理解物理宇宙的潜在本质。这些知识支撑着我们回答一些最大的科学问题，比如我们的宇宙是如何从大爆炸中起源和进化的。能够达到这些能量和大小极端的实验在技术上要求非常高。挑战包括设计可以在恶劣环境中运行的精密探测器，可以以非常高的能量对撞光束的粒子加速器，能够识别非常罕见的衰变的超灵敏探测器，可以每秒读取数百万条信息的高速电子设备，以及可以以分布式方式分析PB级数据的软件。粒子物理因此刺激了各种重要的技术发展。这是一项“综合拨款”，支持高技能研究和技术人员的基础，使伦敦大学学院能够领导最高级别的项目。它提供的支持使该组织能够有效地培训博士生&年轻的博士后研究人员。这笔拨款将支持的科学包括：-通过在大型强子对撞机上进行ATLAS实验寻找新的基本粒子，如希格斯玻色子，了解赋予粒子质量的机制。如果有这样的发现，测量希格斯玻色子的性质将是至关重要的。与Tevatron对撞机的精确测量进行交叉验证，将允许对粒子物理标准模型进行强大的一致性检查。-理解为什么我们生活在一个由只有微小反物质成分的物质主导的宇宙中，这与大爆炸后立即发生的情况形成了鲜明对比。我们将详细研究中微子的性质，它是一种稳定的、不带电荷的、几乎无质量的粒子，在放射性贝塔衰变中释放出来。中微子正在用MINOS实验进行研究。伦敦大学学院还在完成超NEMO实验的建设，该实验将探索在原子核内同时发生两个β衰变的极其罕见的过程。研究这种衰变将产生对中微子本质的基本见解。-搜索极高能量的现象，远远超出大型强子对撞机等人造加速器的能力范围。我们正在使用ANITA实验搜索南极冰层中超高能中微子的相互作用，我们正在准备进行实验，寻找一种极其罕见的过程，在这种过程中，Muon(电子的较重版本)自发转化为电子。-为未来的实验开发新的加速器和探测器技术。我们需要建造更高能量的对撞机，能够探测远距离发射的中微子束的巨型探测器，以及更大10倍的地下探测器，以继续搜索罕见的过程。这些关键的科学目标需要实现具有前所未有的性能的新探测器，并且可以有效和负担得起地扩大规模。-与其他科学家和工业界分享我们的工作成果。我们的加速器和辐射测量专业知识可以应用于核医学和安全领域。我们还与仪器制造商合作，为我们自己的研究和其他科学和工业用户开发更好的产品。这项工作的一些工作是由其他赠款资助的，但得到了这项综合赠款所支持的技术专长的支持。对伦敦大学学院高能物理组的技术基础的连续性和支持对科学的进步及其带来的好处至关重要。

Experimental particle physics studies extremely small sizes, or equivalently extremely high energies. We seek to understand the underlying nature of the physical universe in terms of fundamental forces and particles. This knowledge underpins our quest to answer some of the biggest questions in science, such as how our universe originated and evolved from the Big Bang.Experiments capable of reaching these extremes of energy & size are very technically demanding. The challenges include devising precision detectors which can operate in hostile environments, particle accelerators which can collide beams at very high energies, super-sensitive detectors capable of identifying very rare decays, high-speed electronics which can read out millions of pieces of information per second & software which can analyse petabytes of data in a distributed fashion. Particle physics thereby stimulates a variety of important technological developments.This is a "consolidated grant", underpinning the base of highly skilled research & technical staff which allows UCL to lead projects at the very highest levels. It provides the support that allows the group to effectively train PhD students & young post-doctoral researchers. The science this grant will support includes:- Understanding the mechanism that gives particles mass by searching for new fundamental particles such as the Higgs boson with the ATLAS experiment at the LHC. In the event of such a discovery, measuring the properties of the Higgs boson will be critical. Cross checking with precision measurements from the Tevatron collider will allow a powerful consistency check of the standard model of particle physics.- Understanding why we live in a universe that is dominated by matter with only a tiny anti-matter component, in contrast to the conditions immediately following the Big Bang. We will study in detail the properties of the neutrino, which is a stable, uncharged, almost massless particle released in radioactive beta decays. The neutrino is being studied with the MINOS experiment. UCL is also completing the construction of the SuperNEMO experiment, which will search for the incredibly rare process whereby two simultaneous beta-decays occur inside the nucleus. Examining such decays will yield fundamental insights into the nature of the neutrino.- Searching for phenomena at extremely high energies, well beyond the reach of man-made accelerators like the LHC. We are searching for the interactions of ultra-high energy neutrinos in the Antarctic ice using the ANITA experiment & we are preparing for experiments that will search for the exceedingly rare process whereby a muon (a heavier version of the electron) spontaneously converts into an electron.- Developing new accelerator and detector technologies for future experiments. We need to build higher energy colliders, and giant detectors able to detect neutrino beams fired over large distances, as well as 10-times larger underground detectors to continue the search for rare processes. These crucial science goals require the realisation of new detectors with unprecedented performance and which can be scaled-up effectively and affordably.- Sharing the results of our work with other scientists and industry. Our accelerator and radiation measurement expertise can be applied to the fields of nuclear medicine and security. We also cooperate with instrument manufacturers in order to develop better products for our own research and for other scientific and industrial users.Some of this work is funded on other grants but is underpinned by the technical expertise that is supported by this consolidated grant. Continuity & support for the technical base in the UCL High Energy Physics Group is vital to progress the science & the benefits that it brings.