Searches for New Phenomena with High Energy Particle Colliders

Northern Illinois University, Dekalb IL

Investigators

Abstract

This proposal requests funds for a group at Northern Illinois University (NIU) to pursue a research and education program with high-energy particle colliders to search for new phenomena. Their two main activities will be centered on the D0 experiment at the Fermilab Tevatron and on Linear Collider Detector calorimetry and muon tracking. The goals of the D0 experiment are to study the top quark and electroweak bosons, to search for new phenomena such as supersymmetric particles and quark compositeness and to study Quantum Chromodynamics. The NIU group, in addition to contributing to the searches for new physics, will lead the efforts on commissioning the tracking trigger, on calibrating the muon scintillation counters and working on the second hardware stage of the muon trigger and parts of the muon software analysis code and particle identification. They will also coordinate the tau and jet identification working groups in D0. The NIU group is active in linear collider R&D, working on a digital hadron calorimeter prototype, on simulations and energy flow algorithms and on muon tracking detector design studies. The program will also have a broad impact on education in northern Illinois from K-12 through graduate school. The group operates an outreach program for local elementary and secondary schools and community centers. This is designed to increase scientific knowledge in the immediate area and to familiarize citizens with high-energy physics and with Fermilab.