Focused practical course
The module Focused Practical Course Particle Physics and Detectors enables students to gain initial experience with techniques and technologies that are used on a daily basis in basic particle physics research. Thus, it is an ideal preparation for work in data analysis and in the laboratory.
In this exercise students can perform an analysis of LHCb data. In this analysis the fundamental differences between matter and antimatter ("CP violation") can be measured. During the full day exercise the students learn about a slightly simplified particle physics analysis. As for the real analysis carried out at CERN this exercise is based on the object orientated software ROOT which is controlled via pyROOT library commands. The students learn about advanced analytical methods, i.e. analysis in the Dalitz plane. No prior knowledge of ROOT or pyROOT are required, just some basic programming skills.
It is beneficial (but not mandatory) to have a private computer capable to establish a remote connection via ssh available. In this case students are free to continue started analysis work remotely and will not need to ask for another appointment if the course was not completed in the first time slot.
In this course students get the opportunity to learn and practice techniques common in high energy physics to extract candidates of a specific signal decay from a heavily background polluted data sample. Both data samples and simulated samples will be used to develope and optimize a selection of signal candidates. After reducing the background level, fits of a mass distribution will be developed to distinguish signal from residual background. Only basic knowledge in the use of python and its libaries is needed.
It is beneficial (but not mandatory) to have a private computer capable to establish a remote connection via ssh available. In this case students are free to continue started analysis work remotely and will not need to ask for another appointment if the course was not completed in the first time slot.
In this course students will learn the functionality of scintillating fibres, e.g. such fibres used in the LHCb SciFi tracker. Students will measure fundamental quality factors like the wavelength dependant attenuation length. Therefore a motorized x-y table is used. The measured results will be cross-checked with an existing Geant4 simulation.