Particle Physics Experimental Consolidated Grant (2015-2019)

曼彻斯特大学的粒子物理学小组研究基本粒子及其相互作用，在主要的国际研究中心进行实验。这项研究是在国际合作中进行的，涵盖了实验粒子物理学的方方面面：新探测器概念的开发；大型实验的设计、建造和操作；以及数据分析。曼彻斯特粒子物理小组在欧洲核子研究中心的大型强子对撞机(LHC)的两个主要实验中发挥着主导作用，LHC产生目前加速器中可获得的最高能量的质子-质子碰撞。在ATLAS和LHCb实验上，我们以前所未有的精度检验了粒子物理的标准模型，并在标准模型之外寻找新的物理。这些研究包括测量强相互作用和弱电相互作用的性质。我们还研究了新发现的希格斯玻色子的性质。我们在ATLAS的另一个研究重点是研究已知的最重夸克--顶夸克的性质，曼彻斯特粒子物理组在这方面有多年的经验。LHCb实验旨在研究由厚底夸克和魅力夸克组成的粒子的性质。对它们的产生和衰变的详细研究为新物理学提供了一个窗口，并使我们能够研究基本问题，如物质的起源--宇宙中反物质的不对称性。我们还积极准备对ATLAS和LHCb实验进行未来的升级，这将使他们的发现范围大大扩大。了解难以捉摸的中微子的性质是我们研究计划的另一个优先事项。利用位于莫丹地下实验室的NEMO-3和SuperNEMO探测器，我们寻找无中微子双β衰变，这是一个以前从未观察到的过程。它的观测将表明，中微子是它们自己的反粒子，它将提供中微子质量的测量。另一种不同类型的实验名为ELBNF，它将使用一种基于液氮的新技术来探测从芝加哥费米实验室发射到南达科他州一个矿山的光束中穿过地球的中微子。这项实验的目的是了解中微子是否违反了物质和反物质之间的基本对称性。该实验还可以探测到超新星爆炸产生的大量中微子。一种类似的实验(LAR1-ND/MicroBooNE)使用费米实验室靠近源的中微子来开发新的液态Ar技术，并寻找除了引力之外不通过标准模型的任何基本相互作用进行相互作用的“不育”中微子。现代粒子物理实验包含了探测粒子的尖端技术。曼彻斯特集团领导了一项广泛的研究计划，旨在开发新型探测设备，如三维硅探测器和钻石探测器。这些新技术在粒子物理研究之外，在医学物理和安全应用等领域有着许多潜在的应用。粒子物理实验需要重建和分析大型、复杂的数据集。我们设有大型电脑设施，为数项大型计划的数据分析提供支援。最后，我们透过外展计划，透过电视和电台节目、书籍和讲座，向公众宣传我们的研究结果。

The Particle Physics Group at the University of Manchester studies fundamental particles and their interactions, with experiments based at major international research centres. This research is performed in international collaborations and covers all aspects of experimental particle physics: the development of novel detector concepts; the design, construction and operation of large experiments; and the analysis of data.The Manchester Particle Physics Group plays a leading role on two of the main experiments at CERN's Large Hadron Collider (LHC), which produces proton-proton collisions at the highest energies currently accessible in accelerators. On the ATLAS and LHCb experiments, we test the Standard Model of Particle Physics with unprecedented precision and search for new physics beyond the Standard Model. These studies include measurements of the properties of the strong and electroweak interactions. We also study the properties of the newly discovered Higgs boson. Another focus of our research at ATLAS is the study of the properties of the heaviest of all known quarks, the top quark, where the Manchester Particle Physics Group has many years of experience. The LHCb experiment is designed to study the properties of particles that are built from the heavy bottom and charm quarks. Detailed studies of their production and decays provide a window to new physics and allow us to study fundamental questions such as the origin of the matter-antimatter asymmetry in the Universe. We are also active on preparing future upgrades to both the ATLAS and LHCb experiments, which will allow their discovery reach to be significantly extended.Understanding the properties of the elusive neutrino is another priority of our research programme. With the NEMO-3 and SuperNEMO detectors, located in the Modane Underground Laboratory, we search for neutrinoless double beta decay, a process that has never been observed before. Its observation would indicate that neutrinos are their own antiparticles and it will provide a measurement of the neutrino mass. A different kind of experiment, ELBNF, will use a novel technology based on liquid argon to detect neutrinos that have been sent through the Earth, in a beam pointing from Fermilab in Chicago to a mine in South Dakota. The goal of this experiment is to learn whether neutrinos violate the fundamental symmetry between matter and antimatter. The experiment could also detect large numbers of neutrinos from a supernova explosion. A similar kind of experiment (LAr1-ND/MicroBooNE) uses neutrinos close to the source at Fermilab to develop the novel liquid argon technology and to search for 'sterile' neutrinos that do not interact via any of the fundamental interactions of the Standard Model except gravity.Modern Particle Physics experiments contain sophisticated technology to detect particles. The Manchester Group leads an extensive reasearch programme on developing novel detection devices, such as 3-dimensional silicon detectors and diamond detectors. These novel technologies have many potential applications beyond Particle Physics research, in areas such as medical physics and security applications. Particle Physics experimentation requires the reconstruction and analysis of large, complex data sets. We operate a large computing facility which supports data analysis for several of these large projects.Finally, through our outreach programme, we communicate the results of our research to the public through television and radio programmes, books and lectures.