Programme And Module Handbook
 
Course Details in 2025/26 Session


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Module Title LM Advanced Particle Physics Techniques
SchoolPhysics and Astronomy
Department Physics & Astronomy
Module Code 03 17306
Module Lead Dr Andy Chisholm
Level Masters Level
Credits 10
Semester Semester 1
Pre-requisites LH Particle Physics - (03 19780)
Co-requisites LM Current Topics in Particle Physics - (03 17305)
Restrictions None
Contact Hours Lecture-24 hours
Seminar-2 hours
Guided independent study-76 hours
Total: 102 hours
Exclusions
Description

~There are several courses available in Birmingham concerned with our knowledge of the microscopic world through our understanding of particle physics, its laws and theories. However, it is rarely a simple matter to relate these theories to experimental work in the real world. In this module, we investigate how we know what we know, and how we might go about extending our knowledge further. This module gives an introduction to aspects of experimentation in particle physics as currently used in the field. How do you design a detector to look at the products of the collisions of accelerated particles? How do the individual detector components work and how is the essential detector information from the interesting events sifted from amongst the huge data volumes produced? What measurements and observations would you make with the data obtained? How do you relate these observables to the theoretical ideas that you are trying to test? How can statistical analysis be used to determine the significance of your result and how would you assess whether systematic effects are obscuring the real physics? Together with the more theoretical courses available, this module provides a good background for a Year 4 Project or a PhD in particle physics.

Learning Outcomes By the end of the module students should be able to:
  • Describe the principles of various particle-detection techniques, including gaseous and solid-state tracking devices, electromagnetic and hadronic calorimeters, particle identification, triggering and data-acquisition, and design particle physics experiments;
  • Design simple particle physics measurements, estimate the experimental precision, and propose techniques to correct data for detector and other experimental effects;
  • Discuss the principles underlying Monte-Carlo simulations and utilise them to estimate useful quantities and distributions;
  • Apply and compare statistical tools, statistical distributions, chi-squared tests, weighted means and statistical significance;
  • Identify the important sources of systematic uncertainty for a particular measurement and suggest ways to evaluate them;
  • Analyze and classify physics processes by interpreting event displays.
Assessment 17306-01 : Examination : Exam (Centrally Timetabled) - Written Unseen (100%)
Assessment Methods & Exceptions Assessment:
2 hour Examination (100%)
Other None
Reading List