Flavour physics describes the different types of matter particles (quarks and leptons) and flavour-changing interactions. We are striving to answer fundamental questions such as why particles have different masses and why the Universe is made of matter (or where is the anti-matter)? Lancaster investigates these questions through research involving both quarks and leptons. We also use particles containing heavy quark flavours to examine the nature of the strong interaction that binds quarks and antiquarks together to form hadrons and holds together protons and neutrons to form atomic nuclei.

We study the fundamental properties of neutrinos at the Tokai to Kamioka (T2K) experiment in Japan, the MicroBooNE and SBDN experiments at Fermilab, USA. By studying neutrinos from a wide range of sources, both natural and man-made, the transformation of one neutrino into another (oscillations) can be investigated. Such oscillations can be used to search for CP violation in the lepton sector, which may explain the observed dominance of matter in our universe. They also permit a search for physics that is not defined by the Standard Model. The T2K experiment has shown the first hints that this CP violation is non-zero through precise measurements of the appearance of electron neutrinos in a muon-neutrino beam.

We are also studying the matter anti-matter asymmetry using the ATLAS experiment via decays of particles containing bottom (b)-quarks. The primary process examined is the decay of the Bs or its antiparticle to a J/ψ and a φ particle. In our Standard Model of particle physics, this decay can behave differently for the particle and antiparticle. Our studies attempt to measure the difference and are an indirect way of searching for new particles 'beyond the Standard Model', which can enhance or reduce the difference through quantum mechanical effects. We also study the decays of other particles containing beauty quarks, looking both for expected and unexpected states.

Lancaster is also making precision measurements of the decay of the top quark to tau leptons.

Team

• Dr Andrew Blake
• Professor Guennadi Borissov
• Professor Roger Jones
• Professor Vakhtang Kartvelishvili
• Dr Laura Kormos
• Professor Jaroslaw Nowak
• Professor Helen O'Keeffe

The Standard Model of particle physics cannot wholly explain the observed Universe. For example, it cannot explain the existence of dark matter and dark energy. Lancaster is carrying out an extensive programme searching for phenomena that are not included in the Standard Model.

The NA62 experiment will search for new physics at energy scales up to 100 TeV by observing and studying the ultra-rare decay of a charged kaon (K±) to a charged pion (π±), a neutrino and an anti-neutrino (which only occurs in one in 1010 decays). NA62 is also searching for dark matter candidates such as heavy neutral leptons, dark photons and axion-like particles as well as looking for differences between matter and anti-matter.

The study of neutrino oscillations also enables searches for new physics. For example, the MicroBooNE experiment is searching for oscillations mediated by hypothesised 'sterile' neutrinos, which cannot be detected directly. Both T2K and MINOS+ (which has now completed its data-taking phase) are also conducting searches for sterile neutrinos.

On the ATLAS experiment, we are searching for new massive particles that decay to a pair of particles, for example, two quark jets, two Higgs or two J/ψ particles. In all of these analyses, we are searching for a resonance (peak) in a mass spectrum.

We are searching for:

• excited quarks
• quantum black holes and additional bosons that can decay to two jets
• gravitons that can decay to two Higgs particles
• hidden supersymmetric particles that can decay to two J/ψ particles (or other onia)

Team

• Dr James Ferrando
• Dr Andrew Blake
• Professor John Dainton
• Dr Harald Fox
• Professor Roger Jones
• Professor Vakhtang Kartvelishvili
• Professor Jaroslaw Nowak
• Professor Helen O'Keeffe
• Dr Karim Massri

We are investigating the properties of the recently-discovered Higgs boson. In particular, we measure the CP properties of the Higgs boson and the fraction of Higgs particles that decay to taus. When the LHC is running at High Luminosity, the measurement of the cross-section of two-Higgs events will be used to determine the shape of the Higgs potential. We are also working on the International Linear Collider, a Higgs factory that is planned to be built in Japan. The Higgs boson properties will be measured with high precision when this e+ e- collider is made.

We are searching for unusual or exotic combinations of quarks which can shed light on the strong interaction. During the few first years of LHC running, we were pleased to discover the first new particle seen at the LHC, the χb(3P). To study the strong interaction, we focus on particles called ‘onia’ that are made up of quark-antiquark pairs. Their production and various ways of decaying act as a very precise test of theories of the strong interaction. We also study the creation of pairs of onia and onia in association with other objects such as W and Z bosons. These can test essential processes such as double parton scattering, which is a necessary background to understand when searching for new particles and when studying the decays of the Higgs boson. Such studies can also reveal the unexpected; in the D0 experiment, we have observed a state, the X(5568), which we interpret as a combination of two quarks and two anti-quarks.

An understanding of how neutrinos interact with matter is essential for current and future neutrino oscillation experiments as well as for testing the Standard Model of particle physics. Because neutrinos only interact via the weak force, they are challenging to study, resulting in limitations to current neutrino interaction cross-section data and models. Using data and measurements from existing experiments such as MicroBooNE and T2K, neutrino interaction models can be investigated and improved. These experiments will lead to a better understanding of neutrinos and improved precision for future investigations. We measure neutrino interaction cross-sections as well as develop the Monte Carlo models that allow us to test our understanding.

Team

• Dr James Ferrando
• Dr Harald Fox
• Professor Roger Jones
• Professor Vakhtang Kartvelishvili
• Professor Jaroslaw Nowak
• Dr Laura Kormos
• Professor Helen O'Keeffe

Lancaster plays critical roles in the research and development for upcoming neutrino experiments DUNE and SBND in the USA, and Hyper-Kamiokande in Japan, as well as on upgrades for the ATLAS detector at the LHC at CERN. Using our extensive experience of and understanding from existing experiments, we are helping to shape the future of particle physics, keeping Lancaster at the forefront of the field for years to come. This work includes not only hands-on hardware development and construction, but also data simulations and sensitivity studies, detector design optimisation, quality assurance, data acquisition and triggering methods, and particle reconstruction algorithms.

Upgrades to the LHC accelerator are planned to increase the luminosity, which will enable the experiments to collect up to 3000 fb-1 of data. This will lead to severely increased occupancy and radiation damage of the tracking detectors.

The ATLAS experiment plans to introduce an all-silicon inner tracker to cope with the elevated luminosity. Lancaster is involved in several aspects of the construction of the new sub-detector. We will test all UK pixel endcap sensors before they are assembled and are developing expertise with FPGA-based readout systems to be able to test individual pixel modules and the detector during assembly – with up to 5 Gbit/s. We are also leading experts for bending the CO2 cooling pipes made from Titanium with only 100 µm wall thickness into the required shapes and will pressure-test them to make sure they are safe at up to 100 atmospheres.

One recurring challenge for future particle physics investigations is that the experiments are getting larger and larger. Instrumenting of larger and larger volumes with existing technology is very costly – therefore, new ideas for cost-efficient particle detectors have to be pursued, and we believe that the key to realising significant savings is to use industrially available technologies for our purposes. One example of industrially available technology is HV-CMOS processes that are typically used to produce ASICs (application-specific integrated circuits) for the automotive industry. We found that they can also be used to create outstanding particle detectors. Lancaster is focusing on understanding the radiation damage to the silicon bulk of these sensors.

Another example is to assess whether thin-film technology – capable of producing square-meter-size panels for TFT-screens and solar cells at a little cost – could be used to create particle detectors. To this end, Lancaster has teamed up with collaborators in Mexico, the USA and Germany; our expertise is in exploring sensors based on GaAs and c-Si (single-crystalline silicon) thin films. We are also looking into the option to create cost-efficient scintillation detectors from a cheap, everyday plastic: PEN (Polyethylene naphtalate). In this project, we are collaborating with colleagues in Dortmund, Munich, Prague and at Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

Team

• Dr Andrew Blake
• Dr Harald Fox
• Dr Laura Kormos
• Dr Daniel Muenstermann
• Professor Jaroslaw Nowak
• Professor Helen O'Keeffe

To do all of this exciting physics, advanced software and a global computing system are required. At Lancaster, we are developing tracking tools for the high luminosity future running of ATLAS, as well as the software frameworks to exploit new computing techniques and architectures. We also develop the job management software required to simulate, process and analyse LHC data in a comprehensive computing system. We provide one of the most extensive computing and data storage facilities for particle physics and participate in the management and operation of the distributed computing for particle physics and other physical sciences in the UK.

Team

• Professor Roger Jones

Supervisor

Dr James Ferrando

Description

The Z boson is a key piece of the Standard Model. It was first observed in the 1980s at CERN via its decays to two charged leptons. Many of its properties were thoroughly explored at the Large Electron Positron Collider (LEP). Now at the LHC hundreds of millions of Z-bosons have been produced and their well-known mass is exploited to calibrate our detector. Nonetheless some properties of the Z boson remain relatively unexplored.

Within the Standard Model it is expected that the Z boson should decay to two leptons associated with a vector meson around once in every million decays. The CMS collaboration made the first observation of such processes in 2018, measuring the fraction of Z-bosons decaying to Psi mesons associated with two charged leptons as approximately 0.0000008.

For this project it is envisaged to use data recorded by the ATLAS detector to search for decays of the Z boson to two charged leptons in association with vector mesons, such as the rho and upsilon mesons.

These measurements will be compared to the related and well known decays to two charged leptons associated with a photon. The project will probe Quantum chromodynamics in a theoretically challenging regime and has the potential to constrain new physics beyond the Standard model that would cause anomalous couplings between Z bosons and photons.

Students interested in this PhD project should apply via the Lancaster University admission system. Applicants are normally expected to have the equivalent of a first (1) or upper second (2.1) degree class in Physics or Astrophysics. The Lancaster School of Physics and Astronomy holds an Athena SWAN silver award and JUNO Champion status and is strongly committed to fostering inclusion and diversity within its community.

Our PhD projects are offered on a competitive basis and are subject to availability of funding. For full consideration for any possible funding, please submit applications by 31st January 2027.

Supervisor

Professor Jaroslaw Nowak

Description

The SBND is an argon time projection chamber experiment that is a key component of the short-baseline neutrino programme at Fermilab. Data taking commenced in 2024, and its close proximity to the neutrino beam source is expected to result in the highest number of neutrino interactions detected. This substantial dataset will facilitate the precise measurement of rare processes, including:

• Quasi-elastic Cabibbo-suppressed processes involving hyperon production (Λ, Σ0, Σ-) in the final state.
• Associated Λ and Kaon production.
• Decays of higher-mass resonances.

Student Role:

The student will contribute to this project by working across several areas:

1. Modelling neutrino interactions within Monte Carlo generators.
2. Supporting the experiment's ongoing data-taking operations.
3. Primarily, developing selection criteria for strangeness-producing signal events using advanced multivariate and machine learning methods.

Eligibility:

Students interested in this PhD project should apply via the Lancaster University admission system. Applicants are expected to have the equivalent of a first (1) or upper second (2.1) degree classification in Physics, Astrophysics or related courses.

Contact Information:

For further details and all inquiries, please contact Professor Jaroslaw Nowak