Experimental Particle Physics

The four-year timescale is particularly exciting with the exploitation of the LHC and upgrade developments reaching a peak. We will focus our efforts in the Higgs and top sectors for ATLAS, in the kaon sector for NA62, and in the charm and beauty sector for LHCb, including searches for BSM processes in each case. We are simultaneously entering a major construction phase which will require significant effort, building upon the synergies established between our ATLAS, LHCb and Linear Collider detector developments. We anticipate a significant transition in the neutrino sector. We finalised data taking in MICE, with a demonstration of ionization cooling imminent, and we have joined the T2K collaboration, contributing to its near detector upgrade through the WAGASCI/BabyMind detectors, as a major step towards future neutrino developments. With the international community, we will contribute to the leadership needed to establish a future Linear Collider at a key point in the European decision-making process. We have developed detector development and construction capacity to contribute to this programme and have built up our technician and engineering effort in a carefully planned approach. Improved analysis techniques, well-calibrated detectors, increased computing power and theoretical input will be essential and we are at the forefront of the required developments in these areas. All academics are heavily involved in the CERN programme and our strategy is to generate leading-edge physics results from ATLAS, LHCb and NA62 based upon expertise developed in those experiments. Having secured high-quality completion in Run 1 and provided timely first Run-2 results in Higgs H->bb modes and top production for ATLAS, we will ensure that this experience will underpin future ATLAS publications. Based on our earlier work, we will be key players in answering questions concerning the origin of mass and the nature of CP violation. For LHCb, we will measure the CKM angle gamma from loop and tree dominated B decays, search for CP violation and measure mixing parameters in charm decays. We will explore the spectrum of doubly-charmed baryons and measure the properties of the discovered states. For NA62 we will maintain UK expertise and will lead the analysis of the K->pi,nu,nu channel. We continue to invest in and promote a world-class Detector Development activity to enable longer-term initiatives and our Grid strength is aimed at maximising our impact in LHC physics as well as promoting new areas such as the linear collider. We additionally lever significant support through the College in these areas. We have set up physics analysis streams for each experiment, using the Grid, and will continue to fully exploit the LHC Run 2 data. We will also maintain our involvement in longer-term initiatives where we have leadership roles. We presently have leading roles in the ATLAS and LHCb upgrades, the linear collider and future neutrino initiatives. We anticipate greater involvement in these forward-looking programmes, based upon discoveries made at the LHC. Over the next four years we will develop these areas and progress those where early investment will become most productive, consistent with our highest priority of LHC physics exploitation. To enhance the priority programme, we have invested in generic detector developments leading to significant impact in sensors technologies. This has ensured that we can retain expertise in order to meet our priorities in silicon detector development via support of the LHC upgrade and other programmes. We anticipate working with the IGR and JWNC groups where we gain from joint facilities. This strategy is well suited to the skills and capacity of our core group. The associated responsive effort will be essential at a critical point in the evolution of UK particle physics.