Description:

The start of the Large Hadron Collider in 2008 holds prospects for the discovery of the effects of new physics beyond the standard model. In this PhD you will use the first data collected by LHCb to look for new physics effects in the angular distribution of the particles produced in the decay of the B meson to a K* meson plus two muons.

The LHCb experiment is a "day-one" experiment at the LHC, it requires only one-fiftieth of the maximum design luminosity of the collider. Hence, even though this decay is one of the most rare particle decays currently observed, the power of the LHC is such that you will observe thousands of events per year even in the initial phases of the LHC operation. This study is sensitive to a wide range of new physics models, including the theorists perennial favourite candidate supersymmetry.

You will join the young and enthusiastic Glasgow LHCb group of seven research staff and four PhD students. The project will involve analysing data to search for this rare decay and participating in the operation of the experiment. You will travel to CERN in Geneva regularly, and spend a period of around one year based at CERN.

Contact:

Letters of Reference should be sent to: c.parkes@physics.gla.ac.uk