Physicists are smashing particles together at the Large Hadron Collider and firing neutrinos across Japan to hunt for cracks in the Standard Model—the current best description of the universe's fundamental building blocks. This matters because the Standard Model, while remarkably successful, cannot explain dark matter, why matter dominates over antimatter, or why neutrinos have mass. The research directly attacks these gaps. On the LHC, the group will measure the Higgs boson's properties and search for supersymmetry and dark matter candidates. The T2K neutrino experiment looks for CP violation—a difference between matter and antimatter behaviour—which could explain why the universe contains anything at all. The SuperNEMO experiment will test whether the neutrino is its own antiparticle, a property that would rewrite particle physics. This is fundamental science. It has no immediate practical application. But past fundamental research into particle physics gave us the World Wide Web, medical imaging (PET scanners), and the proton therapy beams now used to treat cancer. The group is also studying how proton beams could be applied to healthcare. If the experiments find new particles or forces, the impact on our understanding of reality—and the technologies that might follow—would be profound.
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This grant is to continue the group's programme of investigation into the properties of elementary particles and the fundamental forces of nature. One of the main objectives of this grant will be to support the exploitation of the LHC experiments which will be taking data during the period of this grant. The CMS experiment will continue to measure the Higgs particle, following its successful discovery in 2012. It will also be able to extend the parameter space in searches for SUSY and other new phenomena such as finding evidence of potential dark matter candidates. The LHCb experiment will offer complementary tests of the Standard Model and beyond with the ability to look for extremely rare decays in flavour physics and to measure CP asymmetries in the decays of B mesons, both of which are sensitive to contributions from new physics. The group will also be active in preparing the next generation of detectors for the high luminosity upgrade of the LHC. The T2K long baseline neutrino experiment will allow us to expand our understanding of the masses and mixings in the neutrino sector, and should provide key indications of CP violation in the neutrino sector. The SoLid experiment will take data throughout the grant period and should settle the very short baseline neutrino anomoly. One of the other missing pieces of the neutrino puzzle is whether the neutrino is its own antiparticle. We are preparing the SuperNEMO experiment to attempt to determine if the neutrino is a Majorana particle and first data-taking will occur during the grant. Heavy neutrino-like particles are predicted in several new physics models and we are starting preparations for the SHiP experiment to search for these new particles. The group will be active in several experiments specifically searching for new physics. Direct conversion of muons to electrons is heavily suppressed in the Standard Model so any observation of this process would be a major discovery. The COMET experiment is searching for this process and will take data during the grant. Similarly, a measurable electric dipole moment for the electron could only arise through new physics and the eEDM experiment will continue to push down the limits for such an effect. Around a quarter of the Universe is composed of dark matter and its nature is unknown. This has so far remained undetected in the laboratory and the group will continue its activity in searching for direct evidence of a dark matter candidate through the LUX-ZEPLIN experiment. Accelerators to produce muon beams will be needed for future neutrino and muon collider experiments. The group is continuing its research in this area through the nuSTORM studies. Proton beams also have potential applications for other scientific fields and for healthcare, and the group is studying how to apply these techniques in these areas.
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