VH-NG-803
Programmorientierte Förderung von DESY
VH-NG-803
Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron DESY
Notkestraße 85
22607 Hamburg
Universität Göttingen
Friedrich-Hund-Platz 1
37077 Göttingen
The history of mankind is also the history for the search for new, elementary
knowledge. During the last century, a successful model describing the known elementary
particles and their interactions, the standard model (SM) of particle physics, was established
and intensively tested. Although the SM was and is very successful, many open questions
can not be explained with the SM, for example where particles obtain their mass from or why
there is more matter than anti-matter in the universe. Exploring new physics and explaining
the open questions requires the ever deeper digging into the fundaments of physics - one
way of which is to go ever higher collision energy collisions.
The Large Hadron Colider (LHC) at CERN ist the highest energy particle accelerator
available today. At energies not explored before, new particles can show up and provide
another piece in the puzzle fort he fundamental questions. One of the experiments at the
LHC hunting for new physics and testing the SM in detail is the ATLAS experiment.
The heaviest known elementary particle known today ist he top quark. Therefore, the top
quark is believed to play a special role in understanding the mechanism of electroweak
symmetry breaking and to provide a window to physics beyond the SM. While the existence
of the top quark was predicted by the SM, absolute proof is still required that the particle
which was found is indeed the one predicted by theory. In order to understand the SM and
beyond, detailed determination of the top quark production rate and properties is crucial.
The program of the proposed Young Investigator Group, titled „Approaching the Fundaments
of Physics using Top Quarks at LHC“, is focused on top quark physics at ATLAS. In
collaboration with the DESY and University of Goettingen groups, the Young Investigator
Group will participate in establishing top quark properties and search for physics beyond the
SM using the top quark sector. The group will not only explore in detail the data of 7 TeV
collision energy, of which the collection already started, but also use the opportunity that the
LHC will be upgraded to 14 TeV in 2014, opening yet another new energy frontier for exciting
new physics searches and top properties exploration.
Besides the top quark physics program, the Young Investigator Group will get involved in
inner detector software development. As tracking is crucial to identify and measure top quark
final states, in improved tracking directly reflects in improved top quark physics
measurements as well as searches in the top sector.
Leader of the Helmholtz Young Investigators Group:
Prof. Dr. Yvonne Peters
DESY
Notkestr. 85
22607 Hamburg
Office: 01C/O1.305
Phone: +49 40 8998-3938
Email: yvonne.peters@desy.de
