Final Report: Particle Physics Research Program

Abstract

The primary objective is to support the operation, upgrade and data analysis of the Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS) experiment at the European Center for Nuclear Research (CERN). The operational and upgrade effort is centered on the endcap muon detector sub-system. The data analysis project is a search for quark and gluon substructure as manifest in the cross section for high mass oppositely charged di-lepton pairs. A second objective is the completion of data analysis from the Collider Detector at Fermilab (CDF) experiment on precision measurement of the oscillation between neutral D mesons and their anti-particles.The proposed work on CMS is a continuation and expansion of a successful on-going program of research, started in 2007, when Karchin and collaborators from Wayne State proposed to join CMS, with major operational contribution to the cathode strip chamber (CSC) system of the end-cap muon system. Since that time, Karchin and Mattson with Ph.D. students Sowjanya Gollapinni and Chamath Kottachchi have contributed to CSC operational shifts at Point 5, and detector performance group (DPG) studies using CSC data at the cluster and track segment level. Ph.D. students Gollapinni, and Pramod Lamichhane have been regular contributors to central shifts for data quality management and computing. (For details about shifts see "Professional Activities and Honors" in "Appendix 6: Other Attachment.") We propose continuing work on the CSC sub-system to include detector operations at Point 5, DPG studies, and central operations shifts.A new project is the construction and installation of 128 additional CSC chambers which will comprise the outer radius ring (ring 2) of the end-cap muon detector stations located furthest from the interaction point (ME+42 and ME-42). The WSU group will manage the manufacture and testing of front-end and digital output cables and contribute to the installation at point 5 during long shutdown 1 (LS1), scheduled for 2013 and 2014. Karchin, with research engineer Alfredo Gutierrez and student C. Kottachchi are overseeing production of the required cables, using commercial vendors. Karchin and Gutierrez collaborate on the GEM (GEMS for CMS) project based at CERN, to develop large area, high-rate gas electron multiplier (GEM) chambers suitable for the end-cap muon system. Such chambers may significantly improve the muon trigger capability for future high luminosity operation of the LHC. Karchin has contributed to planning sessions and Gutierrez has contributed to the installation and operation of prototype chambers in an extracted beam at CERN.We propose to continue the promising data analysis project on the search for contact interactions in the di-lepton channel. Preliminary results, presented later in this proposal, show excellent sensitivity in the di-muon channel. We plan to use the full data set up to LS1 to obtain the best possible sensitivity, and we propose to expand the analysis to the di-electron channel.The proposed work on CMS would be carried out by Karchin, a new post-doc to be based...