Particle Physics Experimental Consolidated Grant (2022-2025)

曼彻斯特的粒子物理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的所有方面：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。该小组在大型强子对撞机(LHC)的两个主要实验中发挥主导作用，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(SM)，并在SM之外寻找新的物理。这些研究包括对强相互作用和弱电弱相互作用性质的新测量。我们还研究了希格斯玻色子的性质及其与最重的粒子-顶夸克的关系。LHCb实验旨在研究由重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，使我们能够研究基本问题，如物质的起源--反物质的不对称性。我们还在积极准备未来对ATLAS和LHCb实验的升级，这将使他们的发现范围大大扩大。美国的Muon g-2实验将检查受到磁场影响的Muon的进动。主要目标是通过测量进动率到百万分之0.14的精度来测试对这个值的预测。如果存在不一致，则可能表示标准模型不完整。Mu2e实验的目标是在不发射中微子的情况下，发现介子转化为电子。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超负电子摩尔探测器，我们寻找无中微子双贝塔衰变，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沙丘，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中微子。一种类似的实验(SBND/MicroBooNE)使用费米实验室靠近源的中微子来搜索除了引力之外不通过标准模型的任何基本相互作用来相互作用的“不育”中微子。暗面实验将通过与液态Ar原子核的相互作用和随后的光发射以及使用高灵敏度的硅光传感器来探测来自太空的暗物质。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，以开发新的探测设备，如钻石探测器。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。我们运营着一个大型计算设施，支持其中几个大型项目的数据分析。我们开发并应用复杂的分析技术处理大量数据。最后，通过我们的外展计划，我们通过媒体、公开讲座和大师班向公众传播我们的研究结果。

The Particle Physics Group at 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 Group plays a leading role on two of the main experiments at tbe 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 (SM) of Particle Physics with unprecedented precision and search for new physics beyond the SM. These studies include novel measurements of the properties of the strong and electroweak interactions. We also study the properties of the Higgs boson and its relationship to the heaviest particle, the top-quark.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. 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.The Muon g-2 experiment in the US will examine the precession of muons that are subjected to a magnetic field. The main goal is to test predictions of this value by measuring the precession rate to a precision of 0.14 parts per million. If there is an inconsistency, it could indicate the Standard Model is incomplete. The goal of the Mu2e experiment is to find conversions of muons into electrons without the emission of neutrinos. Understanding the properties of the elusive neutrino is another priority of our research programme. With the SuperNEMO detector, 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, DUNE, 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 neutrinos from a supernova explosion. A similar kind of experiment (SBND/MicroBooNE) uses neutrinos close to the source at Fermilab to search for 'sterile' neutrinos that do not interact via any of the fundamental interactions of the Standard Model except gravity.The DarkSide experiment will search for dark matter from space via its interactions with liquid argon nuclei and subsequent light emission and detection using highly sensitive silicon photosensors.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 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. We develop and apply sophisticated analysis techniques to large data sets.Finally, through our outreach programme, we communicate the results of our research to the public through the media, public lectures and masterclasses.