Experimental Physics Research Program at Columbia University/Nevis Laboratories

The Columbia University High Energy Physics group covers activities in three major programs: the ATLAS experiment at the LHC, MicroBooNE and the Short Baseline Neutrino (SBN) program at Fermilab, and the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE) at Fermilab and South Dakota. The group also participates in the Coherent Captain Mills (CCM) experiment, has roles in DUNE construction, and a major role in the ATLAS High Luminosity upgrades.

Particle physics addresses fundamental questions at a range from subatomic to cosmic scales. The Standard Model (SM) is believed to be only an approximate theory, and new physics beyond the SM will hold the key to making progress in understanding the underlying theory. Some of the most important questions that are addressed by this work are: Is the observed Higgs Boson the one predicted by the Standard Model? How does one explain the large disparity between the weak scale and the Planck scale? What are the dark matter and dark energy in the universe? Is there CP violation in the neutrino sector and is it the origin of the matter-antimatter asymmetry in the Universe? Why are neutrino masses so small?

This project will look beyond the SM at the highest energies possible or through precision measurements. Supersymmetry (SUSY), if it exists, could yield candidates for dark matter. The mystery of dark energy may be related to the Higgs boson, which was discovered at the LHC. If extra spacetime dimensions exist, they may be accessible at the LHC. This Columbia research program will also tackle the question of the nature of fundamental particles, such as the Higgs boson (ATLAS) and neutrinos (MicroBooNE, SBN, DUNE, and CCM), and, through precision measurements, probe higher energy scales. MicroBooNE and the future long and short-baseline neutrino oscillation experiments will address unanswered questions related to the number of neutrino species and fundamental symmetries between neutrinos and antineutrinos. DUNE will furthermore probe for new physics which manifests itself through rare processes, such as proton decay.

The Columbia group will build on their existing education and outreach efforts, engaging the full spectrum from high school students, high school teachers, and undergraduates in understanding and doing high energy physics. The group will also invest in efforts to bring the excitement of the science to the general public through individual faculty outreach efforts (lectures, tours, etc.), structured programs like Columbia's Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) Site, and their Science-on-Hudson series of public lectures. A goal of the Columbia program is to engage under-represented groups to participate in these activities.

The Columbia hardware development efforts provide postdocs, graduate students and undergraduate students with valuable skills and hands-on experience with state-of-the-art instrumentation, an increasingly rare opportunity. Furthermore, the group's recent efforts in readout and trigger for DUNE have enabled new, cross-disciplinary collaboration between physics and computer science.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.