Calibration of the Mu2e Tracking Detector
Yury Kolomensky, Professor
Physics
Applications for Fall 2024 are closed for this project.
Mu2e is a medium-scale Particle Physics experiment currently under construction at Fermi National Lab, with UCB and Lawrence Berkeley National Lab as collaborating institutions. Mu2e will search for the ultra-rare process whereby a muon particle converts directly into an electron, without the emission of any neutrinos. Though not forbidden by the Standard Model of particle physics, this process has never been observed, despite nearly 80 years of attempts. Mu2e will employ the world's most intense muon beam to increase the search sensitivity by nearly 4 orders of magnitude over previous efforts, potentially opening a new window on particle physics. Mu2e is scheduled to begin commissioning with cosmic rays in 2025, with the first muon beam physics run starting in 2027. For more information about Mu2e see https://mu2e.fnal.gov/.
The Berkeley Mu2e team is responsible for several key aspects of the tracker, a precision detector that will measure particle momenta with the highest precision achieved to date, in the relevant range. Precise momentum measurement is central for the Mu2e discovery program.
Role: This project involves developing algorithms needed to convert the raw digital values recorded by the Mu2e detector’s electronics into accurate dimensional quantities (time, distance, and energy), and algorithms to use these measurements to identify protons in our detector. This project will use both simulated data and tracker prototype data. The student will need basic computer programming skills, with experience in python or C++ and linux a plus.
The Berkeley Mu2e group consists of Senior Scientist David Brown, professor Yury Kolomensky, Staff Scientist Richie Bonventre, Research Scientist Vivek Singh, postdoc Ed Callaghan, and a number of students. Student researchers will be expected to meet regularly with senior researchers, as well as work independently and/or with each other. Meetings can be through zoom or (preferably) in person at Lawrence Berkeley Lab, which is reachable from UCB via a dedicated shuttle line.
Qualifications: Physics, Engineering Physics, Computer Science, or Data Science majors
preferred; basic computer programming skills, with experience in C++ and python a plus.
Day-to-day supervisor for this project: Richie Bonventre, Staff Researcher
Hours: to be negotiated
Off-Campus Research Site: Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, 1 Cyclotron Rd, Berkeley, CA
Related website: http://mu2e.fnal.gov/
Mathematical and Physical Sciences