Physicists at the University of Bristol are hunting for cracks in the Standard Model—the current best theory of fundamental particles and forces—by sifting through particle collisions at CERN and other facilities. This matters because the Standard Model, while remarkably successful, cannot explain dark matter, why matter dominates over antimatter, or how neutrinos acquire mass. The group is searching for new particles and forces that would fill these gaps. They look for "missing energy" events that could signal dark matter production, study subtle deviations in particle decays at LHCb, and probe neutrino oscillations at a nuclear reactor just metres from the source. This is fundamental science with no immediate practical application. But past fundamental particle physics research gave us the World Wide Web, medical imaging technologies like PET scanners, and the accelerator technology now used in cancer therapy. If the team finds evidence of new physics, it would reshape our understanding of the universe's basic building blocks. If they do not, their statistical combination of collider data with cosmological observations will still rule out entire classes of theories, sharpening the search for whatever lies beyond.
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The Bristol particle physics group will search for evidence of physics beyond the Standard Model, and work to understand the properties of new phenomena. We will carry out this study using a range of approaches and experiments. At the CERN CMS experiment at the LHC, we will search for signatures of the production of dark matter and supersymmetric particles, using events with 'missing energy'. In the absence of a discovery, we will combine statistical information from our observations with results from cosmology and direct dark matter searches, to rule out potential theories of new physics. We will also use the very large datasets produced at the LHC to study the production and properties of the top quark, a standard model particle with unique properties. We will use a complementary approach to search for new physics at the CERN LHCb experiment, looking for subtle signatures of new physics that manifest themselves in the decays of mesons containing heavy quarks. We will use similar approaches to test current ideas about the nature of fundamental quantum symmetries. We will continue to use the NA62 experiment at the CERN SPS to study the decays of kaons to look for signs of new physics, and the SOLID experiment at the BR2 reactor to study neutrino oscillations on an ultra-short baseline of 5-10m. We will also participate in the Mu3e experiment to search for lepton flavour violation. The group will pursue R&D for future experiments, including upgrades for CMS and LHCb, and the SHiP experiment at the CERN SPS which will use a very high intensity beam to search for 'dark particles' that are signatures of physics beyond the Standard Model. We will continue to work on the detailed design and optimisation of detectors for a future linear collider (ILC or CLIC) and the proposed future circular collider. We will also continue our programme on the development of new sensors and technologies, including collaboration with industry and other academic disciplines in order to generate impact from our work.
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