The LHCb experiment has proven to be a general-purpose detector capable of performing world-leading measurements beyond the core physics programme established during its conceptual design period. LHCb has made the headlines in recent years with many exciting measurements and discoveries in hadronic physics, especially in what concerns spectroscopy, with first observations of exotic forms of matter like tetraquarks and pentaquarks. Hadronic decays that involve solely fermions are largely unexplored; such decay modes are collectively referred to as purely baryonic decay processes. In your PhD you will analyse a baryonic b-hadron decay.
You will have the possibility to perform feasibility studies for future analyses of interest to the group or yourself, with real data and simulated samples, in view of a full exploitation of the unmatched samples to be collected by LHCb in the present data taking period.
The group has interest in the study of hadronic decay modes with neutrons in the decay final state and you will have the opportunity to study the behaviour of neutrons in our calorimeter and to work on reconstruction software for the identification or confirmation of neutrons.
You will join the LHCb group at Liverpool and there will be opportunities to visit CERN, with an option to undertake a long-term attachment at CERN for a period of nine to twelve months.
During the attachment at CERN you will be encouraged to participate in the running of the experiment to gain experience of detectors, their response and the data as it is collected and reconstructed. This work will give the student skills in teamwork, time management and real time problem solving.
This project has 3.5 years funding through STFC covering the student fees and PhD stipend. You would complete dedicated training in particle physics theory, detectors and analysis, with additional focused training for the LHCb experiment. The project would suit a student with an interest in particle physics, data analysis and computing.
To apply for a PhD position within our Particle Physics research group please contact the Particle Physics PhD Admissions director Professor Neil McCauley and also make a formal online application (here) to the University of Liverpool.
Back to: Department of Physics