IOP HEPP Particle Physics 2009

Europe/London
University of Oxford

University of Oxford

Description
Annual IOP High Energy Particle Physics Conference Particle Physics 2009 University of Oxford 6-8th April 2009
    • 12:00 13:30
      Registration/Lunch
    • 13:30 15:30
      Plenary I: Collider Physics Martin Wood Lecture Theatre

      Martin Wood Lecture Theatre

      University of Oxford

      • 13:30
        Welcome and administrative issues 15m
        Speaker: Prof. Robin Devenish
        Slides
      • 13:45
        TeVatron 45m
        Speaker: Terry Wyatt (University of Manchester)
        Slides
      • 14:30
        HERA and Deep Inelastic Scattering 30m
        Speaker: Dr Paul Newman (Birmingham University)
        Slides
      • 15:00
        Highlights From The B Factories 30m
        Speaker: Dr Francesca di Lodovico (QMUL)
        Slides
    • 15:30 16:00
      Tea
    • 16:00 18:00
      Parallel Session 1 A - QCD and Electroweak Martin Wood Lecture Theatre

      Martin Wood Lecture Theatre

      University of Oxford

      QCD and EW

      • 16:00
        QCD matrix elements and truncated showers 15m
        An improved prescription of merging matrix elements with parton showers is presented, extending the CKKW approach. This new method preserves the logarithmic accuracy of the shower.
        Speaker: Frank Siegert (University of Durham)
        Slides
      • 16:15
        Top Quark Mass Measurement using Matrix Element Analysis Technique and Lepton + Jets Channel 15m
        We present a top quark mass measurement using ttbar candidate events for the lepton+jets decay channel from ppbar collisions at 1.96 TeV at CDF. The top quark mass is extracted by employing an unbinned maximum likelihood method using per-event probability density functions calculated using signal (ttbar) and background (W+jets) matrix elements, as well as a set of parameterised jet-to-parton mapping functions. The likelihood function is maximised with respect to the top quark mass, the fraction of signal events, and the jet energy scale correction, which is constrained in-situ via the mass of the hadronic W boson.
        Speaker: Jacob Linacre (University of Oxford)
        Slides
      • 16:30
        DIS Charged Current Interactions in e+p data At ZEUS 15m
        ZEUS is a multi-purpose detector located on the electron-proton HERA collider. Since an upgrade to HERA in 2000, the lepton beams may be longitudinally polarised. This allows tests of the chiral nature of the Standard Model to be undertaken. Of particular interest is the charged current cross-section, which the Standard Model tells us depends on the polarisation of the incoming lepton. Results will be shown for positron-proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 318 GeV, based on an data sample with total integrated luminosity of 133.6 pb-1
        Speaker: Katie Oliver (University of Oxford)
      • 16:45
        Super-leading Logarithms in QCD 15m
        Super-leading logarithmic terms have previously been observed in non-global QCD observables. This talk details a fixed order calculation of super-leading logarithms in the gaps-between-jets process. This calculation confirms previous results and extends them to O(alpha_s^5).
        Speaker: James Keates (University of Manchester)
        Slides
      • 17:00
        Gaps between jets 15m
        We study the effects of QCD radiation on the cross section for the production of two jets with a cut on the transverse momentum of any radiation in the rapidity gap between them at the Large Hadron Collider. This is process is of a great phenomenological interest on its own, and moreover it closely related to Higgs production in WBF. A deep understading of this calculation is also very import from a more theoretical point of view because of the recent discover of "super-leading" logarithms due to non-global effects.
        Speaker: Simone Marzani (University of Manchester)
        Slides
      • 17:15
        Production of direct photons at ATLAS 15m
        The production of direct photons at ATLAS will be an ideal test of perturbative QCD (pQCD) in a kinematic region never observed before. Gaining a deeper understanding of pQCD is essential to searches for new physics at the LHC. In addition, differential cross-section measurements of direct photon production can be used to constrain parton density functions. The plans for the first direct photon measurement with the first LHC data will be presented.
        Speaker: Mark Stockton (University of Birmingham)
        Slides
    • 16:00 18:00
      Parallel Session 1 B - Flavour Physics Lindemann

      Lindemann

      University of Oxford

      Flavour Physics

      • 16:00
        B->K*mu+mu-: Symmetries and Asymmetries in the SM and Beyond 15m
        The rare decay B -> K* (-> K pi) mu+ mu- is regarded as one of the crucial channels for B physics as the polarization of the K* allows a precise angular reconstruction resulting in many observables. We investigate all observables in the context of the Standard Model and various New Physics models, in particular the Littlest Higgs model with T-parity and various MSSM scenarios, identifying those observables with small to moderate dependence on hadronic quantities and large impact of New Physics. We also identify a number of correlations between various observables which will allow a clear distinction between different New Physics scenarios.
        Speaker: Aoife Bharucha (University of Durham)
        Slides
      • 16:15
        Determination of |Vub| using the endpoint of the lepton spectrum 15m
        We present a partial branching fraction for the inclusive charmless semileptonic decay of b->ulnu, leading to the determination of the CKM matrix element |Vub|.
        Speaker: Michael Sigamani (Queen Mary, University of London)
        Slides
      • 16:30
        Performing a full angular analysis of Bd->K*mumu at LHCb 15m
        The decay Bd->K*mumu is a rare b->s quark transition which is of great interest as a probe of beyond the Standard Model physics at the LHC. LHCb will be able to collect such large samples of these decays that a full angular analysis will be possible within a few years. Methods developed for performing this analysis will be presented, and some aspects of the related phenomenology discussed.
        Speaker: William Reece (Imperial College London)
        Slides
      • 16:45
        Two-Body Charmless Hadronic B decays at LHCb 15m
        Studies related to two-body charmless hadronic decays of B mesons (B->hh decays) at LHCb are presented. Application of an incorrect proper time resolution model in the analysis to measure the CKM angle gamma may bias the fitted values of gamma and other parameters. A Monte Carlo-independent method to extract the resolution model from data is described. Also a selection for the rare decays B_{d/s}-> p pbar is presented. LHCb expects to make an observation of B_{d}-> p pbar with as little as 250pb^{-1} of data, depending on its branching ratio.
        Speaker: Laurence Carson (University of Glasgow)
        Slides
      • 17:00
        Charm triggering and physics at LHCb 15m
        Copious charm hadron production at LHCb will produce physics measurements with world-leading precision, but, first, charm events must be recorded to tape. This talk will discuss triggering strategies at LHCb and some of their consequences for charm physics selection and analysis.
        Speaker: Patrick Spradlin (University of Oxford)
        Slides
      • 17:15
        LHCb's potential in D0 mixing and CP violation 15m
        LHCb has great potential for making important measurements in the charm sector. The core of this programme includes the precise measurements of the mixing parameters in D0-D0bar oscillations and the search for CP-violation in D-decays. The talk will present the results of MC studies which quantify LHCb's potential sensitivity in this area. Discussion will also be given to the RICH system, whose K-Pi discrimination power is critical in the charm analysis.
        Speaker: Funai Xing (University of Oxford)
        Slides
      • 17:30
        Lifetime measurements at LHCb 15m
        The trigger for hadronic events at LHCb causes a lifetime bias which has to be taken into account in any time-dependent measurement. A Monte-Carlo free method for removing this bias is presented in the context of measurements of lifetimes and lifetime ratios using channels such as Bs->KK. An overview of the wide ranging physics opportunities with these measurements will be given.
        Speaker: Marco Gersabeck (University of Glasgow)
        Slides
    • 16:00 18:00
      Parallel Session 1 C - Detectors and Future Facilities Dennis Sciama Lecture Theatre

      Dennis Sciama Lecture Theatre

      University of Oxford

      Detectors and Future Facilities

      • 16:00
        Testing and simulation of Multi-Pixel Photon Counter devices 15m
        The Multi-Pixel Photon Counter (MPPC) is an APD array operated in Geiger mode, marketed by Hamamatsu. These devices achieve comparable performance to PMTs, with the advantages of compactness and insensitivity to magnetic fields. They have great potential in HEP applications, and are being used in the ND280 near detector of the T2K long-baseline neutrino experiment. Results from the testing and simulation of the MPPCs used in ND280 will be presented.
        Speaker: Martin Haigh (University of Warwick)
        Slides
      • 16:15
        Software buildup to LHC switch-on 15m
        outline of the software stability testing framework and fast ATLAS simulation with a view to getting ready for early data at the LHC
        Speaker: Alexander Richards (University College London)
        Slides
      • 16:30
        Particle Flow at CMS 15m
        Information from the tracking, calorimetry and muon detection systems of the CMS detector at the Large Hadron Collider at CERN, can be combined to give a holistic description of a proton-proton collision in terms of photons, electrons, muons and hadrons. A 'particle flow' technique is presented which seeks to determine the energy and momenta of these particles. By decomposing events in this way we may expect superior efficiencies and energy resolution for jets, missing transverse energy and tau reconstruction compared to conventional reconstruction techniques used at hadron colliders. The application of particle flow to CMS testbeam data is presented.
        Speaker: Jamie Ballin (Imperial College London)
        Slides
      • 16:45
        Crosstalk in the LHCb Vertex Locator modules 15m
        The Vertex Locator (VeLo) is a silicon based particle detetor in the LHCb experiment. The testbeam data taken with 10 final production VeLo modules exhibited the effects of crosstalk. A method has been developed to correct the data for this effect. A large amount of crosstalk is seen in the data, suggesting that its cause is a combination of charge sharing in the readout cables and an offset in the sampling time of the readout cables.
        Speaker: Lisa Dwyer (University of Liverpool)
        Slides
      • 17:00
        Performance of HPDs in the LHCb RICH Detectors 15m
        The Ring Imaging Cherenkov (RICH) detectors of the LHCb experiment, at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), have been built to provide charged particle identification. Hybrid Photon Detectors (HPDs) are used to detect the Cherenkov photons produced in the RICH radiators. Each HPD required extensive testing and categorisation before being mounted in the RICH. A subsample of 74 HPDs underwent Quantum Efficiency measurements. Results of these tests will be presented. Afterwards, the HPDs were mounted onto columns and fitted into the RICH detectors. I developed the software for monitoring the properties of HPDs mounted into the RICH. These results will be presented alongside investigations of HPDs which had vacuum degradation. Through the RICH group’s combined effort, the RICH detectors were ready for the first beams that circulated through the LHC.
        Speaker: Young Min Kim (University of Edinburgh)
        Slides
      • 17:15
        Computation of Resistive Wakefields 15m
        Speaker: Adina Toader (University of Manchester)
        Slides
      • 17:30
        A CLIC Post-Collision Extraction Line Photon Background Study 15m
        In the proposed CLIC Extraction Line Design, coherently produced lepton pairs possess a significant energy distribution. In the bending region, this translates to high dispersion and possible particle loss. To prevent magnet damage, masks are positioned between the magnets to absorb these losses, of which this study analyses the effect of these lost particles. Using physics-in-matter simulation tools, these interactions are modelled and secondary particles are tracked. Photons produced in the backwards direction are identified and tracked back to the interaction point to determine the flux incident on the detectors. Of particular interest is the silicon vertex detector region since photons may trigger false signals, contributing to the backgrounds. This study will also look at the effects of detector masking, and the probability of an incident photon translating to a registered hit in the silicon.
        Speaker: Michael Salt (University of Manchester)
        Slides
    • 18:00 20:30
      Reception Natural History Museum

      Natural History Museum

      University of Oxford

    • 09:00 10:30
      Plenary II: LHC Martin Wood Lecture Theatre

      Martin Wood Lecture Theatre

      University of Oxford

      • 09:00
        Machine Status 30m
        Speaker: Dr Roger Bailey (CERN)
        Slides
      • 09:30
        Detector Status 30m
        Speaker: Prof. Neville Harnew (University of Oxford)
        Slides
      • 10:00
        Phenomenology Status 30m
        Speaker: Prof. Bryan Webber (University of Cambridge)
        Slides
    • 10:30 11:00
      Coffee
    • 11:00 13:00
      Parallel Session 2 A - QCD and Electroweak / Higgs Martin Wood Lecture Theatre

      Martin Wood Lecture Theatre

      University of Oxford

      11:00 - 12:30 - QCD and EW
      12:30 - 12:45 - Higgs

      • 11:00
        Measuring Z->ee with ATLAS 15m
        Some of the earliest measurements to be made with the ATLAS detector are of the rate and properties of Z boson production. Intense theoretical attention in recent years has culminated in next-to-next-to-leading order calculations of the production cross section of this channel, with just a few percent uncertainty. Confirmation of these predictions with LHC data, as soon as possible after collisions begin, will improve confidence in the accuracy of predictions of the rates of various backgrounds critical for Higgs and other new physics searches. Predictions relating to Z boson production, and prospects for the measurement of the total Z->ee cross section in ATLAS, will be discussed. This channel also acts as a source of electrons which will be used to calibrate and test the performance of ATLAS with early data. Performance studies measurements will be presented, with an emphasis on measurements of electron trigger efficiencies.
        Speaker: Michael James Flowerdew (University of Liverpool)
        Slides
      • 11:15
        The Z boson a_T distribution 15m
        We present theoretical predictions for a novel variable to study low transverse momentum vector boson production at hadron colliders. The new variable referred to as $a_T$ has been pointed out to have experimental advantages over the usual $p_t$ distribution and our study in conjunction with forthcoming accurate experimental data can help to shed light on perturbative radiation as well as constrain non-perturbative effects better than traditional studies of the $p_T$ distribution.
        Speaker: Rosa María Durán Delgado (University of Manchester)
        Slides
      • 11:30
        Spin correlation in top quark pair produciton at ATLAS 15m
        The high mass and large width of the top quark corresponds to a Standard Model prediction for a lifetime shorter than the timescale for strong interactions, implying that the top quark decays before hadronisation. Therefore, properties such as the spin correlation in the $t\bar{t}$ system are transferred to the decay products. In this talk I will discuss the possibility of measuring this correlation with early ATLAS data.
        Speaker: Simon Head (University of Manchester)
        Slides
      • 11:45
        A study of low pt electron reconstruction efficiencies in ATLAS 15m
        Speaker: Susan Cheatham (University of Lancaster)
        Slides
      • 12:00
        Data driven methods of a W/Z cross section measurement in ATLAS 15m
        An important aim of the LHC is the precise measurement of W and Z boson production cross sections. It is important to make a data driven measurement of the cross sections and, whenever possible, not to rely on Monte Carlo simulation. Such a method of determining these cross sections in the ATLAS detector is outlined for the electron channel.
        Speaker: Eleanor Dobson (University of Oxford)
        Slides
      • 12:15
        Constraining PDFs at the LHC: The W asymmetry 15m
        The asymmetry in the rapidity distribution of positive and negative W Bosons can help to put constraints on the parton distribution functions (PDFs). It is directly related to differences in the momentum distribution of u and d quarks and will be used to improve our knowledge on the valence quark distributions at low x. This talk will present the prospects for the W asymmetry measurement with early data at the ATLAS detector. The analysis is carried out using full detector simulation and all systematical errors on the measurement are considered.
        Speaker: Kristin Lohwasser (University of Oxford)
        Slides
      • 12:30
        Fast simulation and the Higgs with ATLAS 15m
        Presented is an outline of the current simulation options available for use in the ATLAS collaboration. Particular attention is given to the ATLAS fast simulation, ATLFAST. By default, ATLFAST does not account for particle losses due to the reconstruction process. Therefore, a set of parametrisations of the photon reconstruction efficiency, as seen in full simulation, have been incorporated into ATLFAST, and the results are demonstrated with H->gamma gamma events.
        Speaker: Neil Cooper-Smith (Royal Holloway)
        Slides
      • 12:45
        Discussion 15m
    • 11:00 13:00
      Parallel Session 2 B - Flavour Physics / Beyond the Standard Model Lindemann

      Lindemann

      University of Oxford

      11:00 - 12:00 - Flavour Phyiscs
      12:00 - 13:00 - Beyond the Standard Model

      • 11:00
        Event by Event alignment studies using B physics observables in the ATLAS experiment 15m
        Event by Event alignment studies using B physics observables in the ATLAS experiment
        Speaker: Lee De Mora (University of Lancaster)
        Slides
      • 11:15
        Recent results in rare charmless three-body hadronic B decays 15m
        We report recent results from the BaBar experiment on the rare three-body charmless hadronic decays of charged and neutral B mesons. These results have been obtained using the full BaBar dataset of around 470 million BBbar pairs.
        Speaker: Eugenia Puccio (University of Warwick)
        Slides
      • 11:30
        Measurement of semileptonic asymmetry in Bs decays at D0 15m
        Recent results from D0 on the semileptonic asymmetry in Bs decays will be presented and prospects will be discussed.
        Speaker: Sergey Burdin (University of Liverpool)
        Slides
      • 11:45
        Time dependent Dalitz plot analysis of B0->Kspi+pi- at BaBar 15m
        A time-dependent amplitude analysis of B0->Kspi+pi- decays is performed in order to extract the CP violation parameters of f0(980)Ks and rho0(770)Ks and direct CP asymmetries of K*+(892)pi-. The relative phases between B0->K*+(892)pi- and B0-> K*-(892)\pi+, relevant for the extraction of the unitarity triangle angle gamma, is also measured. The results are obtained from the final BaBar data sample.
        Speaker: Jelena Ilic (University of Warwick)
        Slides
      • 12:00
        ATLAS Electron Trigger efficiency determination for BSM channels 15m
        This talk will present a study concerning the ATLAS electron trigger performance in a SUSY/exotic environment and the determination of this efficiency from data.
        Speaker: Matthew Tamsett (Royal Holloway)
        Slides
      • 12:15
        CP Violation in the MSSM at the LHC 15m
        The Minimal Supersymmetric Model contains many new parameters that can have CP violating phases. We investigate ways of discovering these at the LHC if the CP phases happen to be large.
        Speaker: Jaime Tattersall (University of Durham)
        Slides
      • 12:30
        Precise Predictions for Higgs Production in Neutralino Decays 15m
        Complete one-loop results are presented for the class of processes $\tilde{\chi}0_i\rightarrow \tilde{\chi}0_j h_a$ in the MSSM with CP-violating phases beyond the lowest order. We combine the genuine vertex contributions with two-loop Higgs propagator-type corrections, thus obtaining the currently most precise prediction for this class of processes. The numerical impact of the genuine vertex corrections is studied in several examples of CP-conserving and CP-violating scenarios. The corrections to the decay width can be particularly large in the CP-violating CPX benchmark scenario, where a very light Higgs boson is unexcluded by present data. We find that in this parameter region, which will be difficult to cover by standard Higgs search channels at the LHC, the branching ratio for the decay $\tilde{\chi}0_2\rightarrow \tilde{\chi}0_1 h_1$ is large. This may offer good prospects to detect such a light Higgs boson in cascade decays of supersymmetric particles.
        Speaker: Alison Fowler (Durham IPPP)
        Slides
      • 12:45
        Inelastic Dark Matter and Non-Standard Halos 15m
        I will discuss the compatibility of the inelastic dark matter (iDM) interpretation of the DAMA/LIBRA results with other direct detection experiments, focussing particularly on the sensitivity to the iDM velocity distribution.
        Speaker: Matthew McCullough (University of Oxford)
        Slides
    • 11:00 13:00
      Parallel Session 2 C - Detectors and Future Facilities / Neutrinos and Dark Matter Dennis Sciama Lecture Theatre

      Dennis Sciama Lecture Theatre

      University of Oxford

      11:00 - 12:00 - Detectors and Future Facilities
      12:00 - 13:00 - Neutrinos and Dark Matter

      • 11:00
        ATLAS SCT Endcap Module Efficiency Measurement 15m
        A description of my work on the measurement of efficiencies of modules in the SCT endcap using cosmic data taken in SR1 during the cosmic tests.
        Speakers: Nicholas Austin (University of Liverpool), Nicholas Charles Austin
        Slides
      • 11:15
        Construction of an Electromagnetic Calorimeter for ND280 and the T2K collaboration 15m
        T2K (Tokai to Kamioka) is a 295km long-baseline experiment in Japan, due to start taking commissioning data late this year. It is designed to measure muon-neutrino oscillations to other flavours. In particular, it has the primary goal of measuring the mixing angle 13. One of the UK's contributions is the construction and calibration of an Electromagnetic Calorimeter (ECal) for the near detector, ND280, situated 280m downstream from the neutrino production target. This talk will present an update on the construction of one module of ND280, the Downstream ECal. It will summarise results from the quality assurance of the materials, and the work involved in creating the module. The module is now complete and currently collecting cosmic ray data at RAL. It is due to be shipped to CERN for testbeam studies in April.
        Speaker: Gavin Davies (University of Lancaster)
        Slides
      • 11:30
        Commisioning the LHCb Vertex Detector 15m
        Speaker: Abdi Noor (University of Liverpool)
        Slides
      • 11:45
        Luminosity Performance Studies of Linear Colliders with Intra-train Feedback Systems: Simulations and Experimental Plans 15m
        The design luminosity for the future linear colliders is very demanding and challenging. Beam-based feedback systems will be required to achieve the necessary beam-beam stability and steer the two beams into collision. In particular, by means of computer simulations we study the luminosity performance improvement by intra-train beam-based feedback systems for position and angle corrections at the interaction point of linear colliders. Here results are presented for the International Linear Collider (ILC) and the Compact Linear Collider (CLIC). Moreover, we present the design of fast feedback systems to be tested at the final focus beam test facility ATF2 at KEK (Japan).
        Speakers: Javier Resta Lopez (Institut fur Physik), Javier Resta Lopez (Oxford university)
        Slides
      • 12:00
        Results from the first science run of ZEPLIN-III 15m
        We present the results from the first science run of the ZEPLIN-III WIMP dark matter search. ZEPLIN-III utilises two-phase xenon, measuring both scintillation and ionisation produced by interactions in the liquid to differentiate between the nuclear recoils expected from WIMPs and the electron recoil background signals down to ∼10keV nuclear recoil energy. The higher-field operation of the instrument provides enhanced discrimination over previous two-phase xenon experiments. The first science run of ZEPLIN-III at the Palmer Underground Laboratory (Boulby mine, UK), acquired 847 kg.days of background data, with a final fiducial exposure of 266 kg.days, placing a 90% confidence upper limit on the WIMP-nucleon spin-independent scattering cross-section with a minimum at 7.7E-08 pb at a WIMP mass of 55 GeV/c2.
        Speaker: Blair Edwards (STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory)
        Slides
      • 12:15
        ZEPLIN-III: The future 15m
        ZEPLIN-III aims to be the world's leading detector of weakly interacting massive particles, the favored explanation of Galactic dark matter. Identification is based on extraction of scintillation and electroluminescence signals from a two-phase xenon target. A successful first science run has demonstrated the benefits of ZEPLIN-III's unique high-field operation, open-plan geometry and use of radiologically clean materials. An increased sensitivity is to be achieved by the retrofitting of custom-made ultra-low background photomultiplier tubes and a high efficiency veto detector. This talk will present the requirements, design and simulation of ZEPLIN-III in its upgraded configuration, illustrating its potential for the future and first direct detection of dark matter.
        Speaker: Emma Barnes (University of Edinburgh)
        Slides
      • 12:30
        The Physics and Analysis of Cosmic Muons in the Downstream Ecal of T2K 15m
        Speaker: Melissa George (Queen Mary, University of London)
        Slides
      • 12:45
        Calculations of background from radioactivity in dark matter detectors 15m
        New generation dark matter experiments aim at exploring the 10e-9 - 10e-10 pb cross-section region for the WIMP-nucleon scalar interactions. Neutrons and gamma-rays produced in detector components are the main factors that can limit detector sensitivity. Energy spectra and production rates of neutrons coming from radioactive contamination of materials with uranium and thorium have been estimated using the code SOURCES4A. The code libraries for (alpha,n) cross-section and transition probabilities have been updated and extended using the code EMPIRE 2.19. Radioactive background event rates from some detector components (such as copper and stainless steel), as well as from rock and concrete (lab walls), have been estimated for a hypothetical dark matter detector based on Ge crystals (for instance EURECA). Different shielding configurations (water, lead, paraffin) have been considered. Neutrons and photons have been propagated to the detector using GEANT4. Some requirements for the radiopurity of the materials have been deduced from the results of these simulations. Thickness of shielding in different configurations and required gamma discrimination factor have been investigated.
        Speaker: Vito Tomasello (University of Sheffield)
        Slides
    • 13:00 14:00
      Lunch
    • 13:45 14:00
      New IOP Particle Accelerators and Beams Group Lindemann

      Lindemann

      University of Oxford

      • 13:45
        IoP PAB gp 15m
        Speaker: M Poole (ASTeC)
        Slides
    • 14:00 15:30
      STFC Town Meeting (a) Martin Wood Lecture Theatre

      Martin Wood Lecture Theatre

      University of Oxford

      • 14:00
        PPAN and Grant Panels, including Project Approvals and Progress on Advisory Panels 30m
        Speaker: Dr Jordan Nash (CERN)
        Slides
      • 14:30
        Science Board View of Programme and Priorities – Big Issues, Opportunities, Accelerator Vision 30m
        Speaker: Prof. Jenny Thomas (UCL)
        Slides
      • 15:00
        STFC Update, including Financial Situation 30m
        Speaker: Dr John Womersley (STFC)
        Slides
    • 15:30 16:00
      Tea
    • 16:00 17:00
      STFC Town Meeting (b) Martin Wood Lecture Theatre

      Martin Wood Lecture Theatre

      University of Oxford

      • 16:00
        PPAP Role, Constitution and Plans 20m
        Speaker: Prof. Philip Burrows (University of Oxford)
        Slides
      • 16:20
        Economic Impact 30m
        Speaker: Dr Liz Towns-Andrews (STFC)
        Slides
    • 17:00 17:30
      PP2020: Particle Physics - Fundamental Impacts Martin Wood Lecture Theatre

      Martin Wood Lecture Theatre

      University of Oxford

      • 17:00
        Selling Particle Physics to the Treasury 30m
        Speaker: Mark Lancaster (UCL)
        Slides
    • 19:00 22:00
      Conference Dinner Christ Church Hall

      Christ Church Hall

      University of Oxford

    • 09:00 11:00
      Plenary III: Neutrinos and Dark Matter Martin Wood Lecture Theatre

      Martin Wood Lecture Theatre

      University of Oxford

      • 09:00
        Neutrino Long & Short baseline 35m
        Speaker: Elisabeth Falk (University of Sussex)
        Slides
      • 09:35
        Double Beta Decay 25m
        Speaker: R Saakyan
        Slides
      • 10:00
        Dark Matter 30m
        Speaker: Hans Kraus (Umiversity of Oxford)
        Slides
      • 10:30
        Theory 30m
        Speaker: Stephen King (Department of Physics (SHEP))
        Slides
    • 11:00 11:30
      Coffee
    • 11:30 13:00
      Parallel Session 3 A - Beyond the Standard Model Martin Wood Lecture Theatre

      Martin Wood Lecture Theatre

      University of Oxford

      Beyond the Standard Model

      • 11:30
        Search Strategies for SUSY in Tri-lepton Final States 15m
        The Large Hadron Collider with its unprecedented centre-of-mass energy will provide a unique opportunity to search for new physics Beyond the Standard Model. In this talk, I will describe search strategies for Supersymmetry in tri-lepton final states with early data of up to 10 inverse femtobarn. Using Monte Carlo simulations and a full ATLAS detector simulation I investigate the discovery potential with this final state for several benchmark points in the minimal Supergravity parameter space. A particular focus will be placed on the difficult scenario where strong interacting supersymmetric particles are very heavy (~ 3 TeV), as in such case the tri-lepton final states are likely to provide the best discovery potential. I will also address possible strategies to determine background contributions relevant for this final state from data.
        Speaker: Oleg Brandt (University of Oxford)
        Slides
      • 11:45
        SUSY Gauge Singlets and Dualities 15m
        By including gauge singlets in supersymmetric gauge theories, we have been able to construct and test new types of Seiberg duality which may help in finding dual theories for supersymmetric GUTs.
        Speaker: James Barnard (University of Durham)
        Slides
      • 12:00
        Chargino/ Neutralino Mass 15m
        The masses of chargino and neutralino are important SUSY parameters which can be measured with high precision in ILC. The chargino or neutralino pair production is one of the benchmarking processes of SiD detector concept also because the separation of chargino/neutralino events is only enabled by satisfactory performance of Particle Flow Algorithm. Here we discuss the chargino/ neutralino events selection and estimate the error of mass measurement.
        Speaker: Yiming Li (University of Oxford)
        Slides
      • 12:15
        Black hole event generation with BlackMax 15m
        We present a comprehensive black-hole event generator, BlackMax, which simulates the experimental signatures of microscopic and Planckian black-hole production and evolution at proton-proton, proton-antiproton and electron-positron collisions in the context of brane world models with low-scale quantum gravity. The generator is based on phenomenologically realistic models free of serious problems that plague low-scale gravity, thus offering more realistic predictions. The generator includes all of the black-hole graybody factors known to date and incorporates the effects of black-hole rotation, splitting between the fermions, non-zero brane tension and black-hole recoil due to Hawking radiation (although not all simultaneously).
        Speaker: Cigdem Issever (University of Oxford)
        Slides
      • 12:30
        Phenomenology of Rotating Extra-Dimensional Black Holes at Hadron Colliders 15m
        We present results of a new simulation of black hole production and decay at hadron colliders in theories with large extra dimensions and TeV-scale gravity. The main new feature is a full treatment of the spin-down phase of the decay process and the distributions of the associated Hawking radiation. Also included are improved modelling of the loss of angular momentum and energy in the production process and a wider range of options for the Planck-scale termination of the decay. We present results from these simulations, with emphasis on the consequences and experimental signatures of black hole rotation at the LHC.
        Speaker: James Frost (University of Cambridge)
        Slides
      • 12:45
        Optimising selections for the potential discovery of inclusive Supersymmetry 15m
        Variables are chosen and orthogonal cuts are optimised for the preferential selection of inclusive SUSY signal over standard model background. This cuts based analysis is compared with a log likelihood based analysis also selecting SUSY over backgrounds.
        Speaker: Paul Prichard (University of Liverpool)
        Slides
    • 11:30 13:00
      Parallel Session 3 B - Higgs Lindemann

      Lindemann

      University of Oxford

      Higgs

      • 11:30
        Search for the Standard Model Higgs boson produced in vector boson fusion and decaying into a tau pair in CMS with 1fb^-1 15m
        The Standard Model Higgs boson, produced by vector boson fusion and decaying to a pair of tau leptons, is an important channel in the search for the Higgs in the mass range between 115 and 145GeV/c2. A prospective analysis is presented on the observability of the Higgs boson with this channel, in the final state where one tau decays leptonically and the other hadronically, with CMS. An estimate of the expected upper limit which could be set on the signal cross-section times branching ratio, with 1fb^-1 of integrated luminosity, is given for Higgs masses in the above range.
        Speaker: Nicholas Cripps (Imperial College London)
        Slides
      • 11:45
        L2 tracking robustness and trigger study for semileptonic ttH channel 15m
        The ATLAS trigger is made up of three levels. The second level is software based and the earliest stage where data is available from the tracking detectors. Tracking is needed to verify several signatures with different requirements. IDScan is an algorithm which reconstructs tracks from hits in the Pixel and SCT detector. The robustness of this algorithm against missing layers of the detector is crucial and the results of this study are shown in this talk. A promising but also very challenging channel for a Higgs discovery in the low mass region is the ttbarH associated production, where the Higgs decays to a bbbar pair. Due to the complex final state of jets, lepton and missing energy it is possible to trigger on many different signatures. In this talk, the efficiencies of the various trigger signatures and their combination are presented.
        Speaker: Catrin Bernius (University College London)
        Slides
      • 12:00
        Highly Boosted HW/HZ Production 15m
        Until recently extraction of the processes HW->bblv and HZ->bbll was considered impossible at the LHC. However, recent work has shown that by studying the high pT case, the signals can be recovered as a promising discovery channel by ATLAS.
        Speaker: Adam Davison (University College London)
        Slides
      • 12:15
        Statistical Combination of Low-Mass Higgs Channels 15m
        With the recent successes at the Tevatron, it will be more important than ever for LHC physicists hunting for the Higgs to combine their efforts. Based on current techniques, no single channel in the ATLAS repertoire will be able to discover the Higgs with less than ~5fb-1, and as such, it will be important to combine statistically the outcomes of the individual searches. An approach is presented, based on that used at LEP and CDF, to assess the combined sensitivity of ATLAS to the Higgs Boson in mass range 110<190 GeV.
        Speaker: Catherine Wright (University of Glasgow)
        Slides
      • 12:30
        High Mass Standard Model Higgs Searches at D Zero 15m
        In this talk I will describe the current status and outlook of high mass Standard Model Higgs boson searches at D Zero, with particular emphasis on the H to WW channel. The talk will include discussion of potential methods for optimising sensitivity.
        Speaker: Nicholas Osman (Imperial College London)
        Slides
      • 12:45
        Measuring Higgs boson branching fraction to cc-bar at the ILC 15m
        The precise measurements of the Higgs boson properties will be very key to further understanding fundamental particle interaction. In particular, the study of the Higgs boson branching ratios is important in determining the Higgs couplings and nature of the Higgs boson. Here we look at the tools used for the measurement of H--> cc-bar branching ratio and the precision for such a measurement.
        Speaker: Yambazi Banda (University of Oxford)
        Slides
    • 11:30 13:00
      Parallel Session 3 C - Neutrinos and Double Beta Decay Dennis Sciama Lecture Theatre

      Dennis Sciama Lecture Theatre

      University of Oxford

      Neutrinos and Double Beta Decay

      • 11:30
        Particle Identification in the ND280 Electromagnetic Calorimeter 15m
        The ND280 calorimeter is a coarsely grained lead/scintillator detector. The coarse granularity presents challenges for particle identification. Progress in using an artificial neural network to separate MIP, electromagnetic showers and hadronic showers is presented.
        Speaker: Antony Carver (University of Warwick)
        Slides
      • 11:45
        Lepton Asymmetries and their Evolution in the E6SSM 15m
        We investigate leptogenesis in the E6 inspired Supersymmetric Standard Model. In this model, the gauge singlet right-handed neutrinos decay into ordinary leptons, exotic leptons and leptoquarks, all of which carry non-zero lepton number. Lepton asymmetries are calculated from loop diagram contributions to the right-handed neutrino decay. We find that lepton asymmetries can be enhanced drastically by extra Yukawa couplings in this model. Boltzmann Equations indicate that a successful leptogenesis can be achieved when the lightest right-handed neutrinos mass is of order 10^6 GeV, as required by the limit on the reheating temperature.
        Speaker: Rui Luo (University of Glasgow)
        Slides
      • 12:00
        Anti neutrinos at MINOS 15m
        The NuMI beam used by the MINOS experiment has a 6% component of anti neutrinos. This coupled with the magnetised MINOS experiment allows us to measure dmbar^2 and sin 2 thetabar directly. If CPT is conserved these should be the same as dm^2 and sin 2 theta.
        Speaker: David Auty (University of Sussex)
        Slides
      • 12:15
        Double Beta Decay of Zr96 using NEMO-3 and Calorimeter R&D for SuperNEMO 15m
        Using 911 days of data from NEMO-3, a world best 2vBB decay half-life of Zr96 has been measured to be [2.36 +/-0.17(stat) +0.17 -0.14(syst)] x 10^19 yr. The obtained limit on the 0vBB decay half-life at the 90% confidence level is 8.5 x 10^21 yr which leads to the limit on the effective Majorana neutrino mass < 7.4 - 20.3 eV, using the RQRPA and pnQRPA nuclear models. SuperNEMO is a next-generation double beta decay experiment based on the successful tracking plus calorimetry design approach of the NEMO-3. SuperNEMO can study a range of isotopes, the baseline isotopes are Se82 and possibly Nd150. The total isotope mass will be 100-200 kg. A sensitivity to a 0vBB half-life greater than 10^26 years can be reached which gives access to Majorana neutrino masses of 50-100 meV. One of the main challenges of the SuperNEMO R&D is the development of the calorimeter with an energy resolution of 4% FWHM at 3 MeV (Q(bb) value of Se82). This unprecedented milestone has been achieved using low density plastic scintillator coupled to high quantum efficiency photomultiplier tubes.
        Speaker: Matthew Kauer (University College London)
        Slides
      • 12:30
        SuperNEMO sensitivity to neutrinoless double beta decay via the mass mechanism and right handed currents 15m
        SuperNEMO is a next generation neutrinoless double beta decay experiment currently in development, which will probe the inverted hierarchy neutrino mass region. The detector will consist of a double beta emitting foil of Se82 or Nd150 surrounded by a tracking chamber and calorimetry, which allows measurement of electron angular correlations and individual energies. These signatures can be used to identify the underlying mechanism of neutrinoless double beta decay. SuperNEMO sensitivity to both the mass mechanism and right handed currents are examined in the cases of limit setting or discovery.
        Speaker: Christopher Jackson (University of Manchester)
        Slides
      • 12:45
        Exploring the physics reach of a low-energy neutrino factory 15m
        A 'neutrino factory' is seen as the ideal neutrino oscillation experiment of the future. We study the physics performance of a low-energy version of this experiment, in particular its sensitivity to theta_13, delta, the mass hierarchy and non-standard interactions, and aim to optimize its performance.
        Speaker: Tracey LI (University of Durham)
        Slides
    • 13:00 14:00
      Lunch
    • 13:30 13:55
      HEPP Group AGM Lindemann

      Lindemann

      University of Oxford

    • 14:00 15:45
      Plenary IV: Final Martin Wood Lecture Theatre

      Martin Wood Lecture Theatre

      University of Oxford

      • 14:00
        Future Facilities 45m
        Speaker: Grahame Blair (Royal Holloway, Univ. of London)
        Slides
      • 14:45
        Finale 45m
        Speaker: Sergio Bertolucci (CERN)
        Slides
      • 15:30
        Closing Remarks 15m
        Speaker: Robin Devenish (Oxford University)