Particle Physics Consolidated Grant 2015

粒子物理学试图理解宇宙，它的诞生，演变和命运的基本粒子（夸克和轻子）的相互作用，基本力（强，电磁，弱力和引力）和调解它们的力粒子（光子，W/Z，胶子和引力子）以及最近发现的希格斯粒子，赋予基本粒子质量。在过去的30年里，我们看到了一个成功的理论框架--标准模型的发展，几乎所有的粒子物理学数据都可以用它来解释。然而，该模型是不完整的。虽然它解释了我们在地球上遇到的情况，但对宇宙的研究表明存在着神秘的暗物质，它将星系聚集在一起，甚至更神秘的暗能量正在以不断增加的速度将星系分开。有这么多的奥秘！从来没有一个更好的时间是一个粒子物理学家。牛津大学的研究将极大地推进我们对任何取代标准模型的“新物理学”理论的理解，并将指导理论工作以发展它。大型强子对撞机（LHC）即将重启;它将再现大爆炸百万分之一秒内的条件。牛津大学在ATLAS和LHCb中都发挥着重要作用。这些实验有可能彻底改变我们对宇宙的理解。在ATLAS中，牛津大学的物理学家参与了令人兴奋的“希格斯粒子”的发现，该粒子通过赋予物质质量而使物质成为物质。我们还在寻找具有“超对称性”（SUSY）的粒子，这一理论将为占宇宙物质80%的“暗物质”提供解决方案; ATLAS也在寻找隐藏的额外空间维度。牛津大学LHCb物理学家通过研究夸克和反夸克行为的细微差异-“CP破坏”，努力更好地理解宇宙中物质-反物质不对称性的起源。这种不对称性使我们得以存在。在接下来的十年里，LHC将升级到更高的能量和强度，因此ATLAS和LHCb的探测器改进正在准备中。升级后的探测器将把粒子物理学的灵敏度提高到前所未有的水平，以进行几乎不可避免的新物理观测。在我们的工作中，我们提供了强大的计算资源和分析工具，这是从大量数据中提取重要发现所必需的。我们参与了高精度实验，这是对大型强子对撞机大型实验的补充。LZ解决了粒子物理学和宇宙学中最重要的问题之一;寻找暗物质，候选者是最轻的超对称粒子。LSST将测量由于神秘的暗能量而导致的宇宙膨胀速度有多快，暗能量占宇宙中所有能量的75%，其作用就像反引力将星系推开。类似地，g-2将测量μ子（一种重电子）的一种性质，这种性质对新粒子的短暂量子涨落特别敏感，具有前所未有的精度，这也将补充LHCb实验中CP破坏的测量。通过T2 K，SoLid，MicroBooNE和未来的项目，牛津大学旨在了解难以捉摸的中微子，以及它从一种类型到另一种类型的“振荡”。SNO+实验将测量中微子的其他性质，例如它是否是自己的反粒子。在整个过程中，牛津大学将继续发展和提高机械和电子设计的能力，使我们保持构建最复杂的仪器为我们的物理目标的能力。我们将继续保持我们的世界领先地位，为科学卓越和主要国家的最先进的粒子物理探测器建设的未来。这是粒子物理学的激动人心的时刻，牛津大学正在发挥重要作用。

Particle physics seeks to understand the Universe, its birth, evolution and fate in terms of the interplay of elementary particles (the quarks and leptons) the fundamental forces (the strong, electromagnetic, and weak forces and gravity) and the force-particles that mediate them (photons, W/Z, gluons and gravitons) and the recently discovered Higgs particle that gives the elementary particles mass. The last thirty years have seen the development of a successful theoretical framework, the Standard Model, in which almost all particle-physics data can be explained. However, the model is incomplete. While it explains what we encounter on Earth, studies of the cosmos indicate the presence of mysterious dark matter that holds galaxies together and even more mysterious dark energy that is driving galaxies apart at an ever-increasing rate. There are so many mysteries! There has never been a better time to be a particle physicist. Oxford's research will advance significantly our understanding of whatever "new-physics" theory will emerge to replace the Standard Model, and will guide the theoretical work to develop it. The Large Hadron Collider (LHC) is about to restart; it reproduces the conditions within a million millionth of a second of the Big Bang. Oxford plays a major role in both ATLAS and LHCb. These experiments have the potential to completely revolutionise our understanding of the universe. In ATLAS, Oxford physicists participated in the exciting discovery of the "Higgs particle", which makes matter matter by giving it mass. We are also searching for particles having "supersymmetry" (SUSY), a theory that would provide a solution to the "dark-matter" that makes up about 80% of the matter in the Universe; ATLAS is also searching for hidden extra spatial dimensions. Oxford physicists on LHCb strive for a better understanding of the origin of the matter-antimatter asymmetry in the Universe, by studying subtle differences in the behaviour of quarks and antiquarks - "CP-violation". This asymmetry permits us to exist. Over the next decade, the LHC will upgrade to higher energy and intensity, and so detector improvements are being prepared for both ATLAS and LHCb. The upgraded detectors will take particle physics to an unprecedented level of sensitivity for the nearly inevitable new-physics observations. Throughout our work we are enabling powerful computing resources and analysis tools that are necessary for the extraction of important discoveries from vast volumes of data.We participate in high-precision experiments which are complementary to the large experiments at the LHC. LZ addresses one of the most important questions in particle physics and cosmology; a search for dark matter, a candidate being the lightest SUSY particle. LSST will measure how quickly the expansion of the universe is speeding up due to the mysterious dark energy that represents 75% of all the energy in the universe and acts like anti-gravity pushing galaxies apart. Similarly g-2 will measure a property of a muon (a heavy electron) that is especially sensitive to fleeting quantum fluctuations of new particles, with unprecedented precision which will also complement measurements of CP-violation from the LHCb experiment. Through T2K, SoLid, MicroBooNE and future projects Oxford aims to understand the elusive neutrino, and its "oscillation" from one type to another. The SNO+ experiment will measure other properties of the neutrino, e.g. whether or not it is its own antiparticle. Throughout, Oxford will continue to develop and enhance capabilities in mechanical and electronic design so that we retain the ability to construct the most sophisticated apparatus for our physics objectives. We will retain our world-leading role for scientific excellence and major state-of-the-art detector construction in particle physics for the future. These are exciting times for particle physics, and Oxford is playing a major role.