RUI: Heavy Ion Physics in ALICE at the LHC

Chicago State University, Chicago IL

Investigators

Abstract

This award supports a research program in which undergraduate students are involved in the study of heavy ion collisions within A Large Ion Collider Experiment (ALICE) at the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN). The program has two goals: 1) to better understand matter in extreme conditions, and 2) to provide students with research experiences that stimulate an interest in science and technology, exposes them to techniques used in experimental high energy physics, allows the development of global relationships, and prepares them for careers in science and technology. The project on which the students will work is focused on understanding the behavior of extremely dense matter, similar to that existing a fraction of a second after the Big Bang. This is achieved by colliding atomic nuclei at very high energies and studying the remnants of these collisions using highly sophisticated detectors. The students involved in this project will analyze the resulting sub-atomic particles generated by these collisions, and will contribute to the design of the sophisticated detectors that detect the particles emanating from these collisions. Collaboration with a large international laboratory such as the Large Hadron Collider at CERN allows students to work with world-class scientists and state of the art technology, thus, preparing them for STEM careers. Additionally, a program such as this has the potential of creating a cadre of students who become ambassadors for STEM; students who demonstrate to their peers the benefits of pursuing careers in science, engineering, math and technology. Students who participate in this program may serve as mentors and role models for students of high school age and younger, thereby contributing to the creation of a pipeline of students actively preparing for careers in STEM. The focus of ALICE at CERN is to understand the behavior of matter at very high density, similar to the matter that existed a fraction a second after the Big Bang. This state of matter, consisting of a very hot and dense medium of quarks and gluons, is often referred to as a Quark Gluon Plasma (QGP). By colliding nuclei at very high energies it is possible to create a QGP in a controlled environment that facilitates the study of its properties. Chicago State University (CSU) students will perform physics analysis of events triggered by jets detected in ALICE's Electromagnetic Calorimeter (EmCal) sub-detector. The students will investigate the flavor characteristics, specifically strangeness, of jets resulting from high-energy proton-proton, proton-Pb and Pb-Pb collisions, as well as investigating the use of jets as probes in the study of QGP formation. In addition, CSU students will participate in a research and development program devoted to the upgrade of the ALICE trigger detector known as the Fast Interaction Trigger (FIT), thereby, participating in the hardware development of an important component within the ALICE experiment. This award is co-funded by the Office of International Science and Engineering.