Mining Big Data - Department of Mathematics - University of ...

uses particle accelerators and detectors tore-create the first moments after the BigBang, 13.7 billion years ago. Theseinstruments allow scientists to study theparticles that form the very foundation ofthe universe.That alone is mind-boggling. Butthere’s more.To accomplish this work, theaccelerator hurls two beams of particles inopposite directions at almost the speed oflight. The magnets continually narrow thefield through which the particles pass,forcing them to collide, as many as 600million times per second! (Yes, you readcorrectly.) This feat is something likefiring two needles from 10 kilometersapart so that they connect in the middle.If CERN is a place of precision, it isalso a place of extremes.Extremes of size and scope. The LargeHadron Collider (LHC) is a26.7-kilometer ring of superconductingmagnets buried 100 meters underground.It holds 9,300 magnets, many 50-70 feetlong. Yet the circuitry inside is as fine andprecise as the inside of a smart phone.And the particles it produces are thetiniest in the universe.We visited the hall where theseleviathans are constructed and tested. Butparts are built elsewhere and shipped toCERN. UCR scientists played a pivotalrole in the assembly and testing of themuon detectors, a critical part of theinstrumentation.Extremes of temperature. At fulloperation, the magnets are lowered tominus 456 degrees Fahrenheit. (Yes, I saidminus.) Yet, when two beams of lead ionscollide, they generate temperatures100,000 times hotter than the sun.Extremes of appearance. Some ofCERN’s buildings date back to itsfounding in 1954 (the same year as UCR),and have seen better days. But theconfigurations formed by the LHC are sobeautiful and multi-hued that CERN hasits own artist-in-residence. Photographerscome from all over to capture the images.And did I mention the computers? Wetoured two vibrant control rooms, eachequipped with hundreds of monitors. Westood, fascinated, in front of a monitorshowing more than 200,000 data transferstaking place at that very moment – anilluminated globe with lighted strands ofcolor running from locations all over theworld to CERN’s computer grid.CERN is a model for internationalresearch collaboration. With 20 memberstates, CERN has nearly 10,000 visitingscientists, representing 608 universitiesacross 133 countries. Currently amongthem are six UCR faculty members (seebelow), three postdoctoral researchers and14 graduate students.Distinguished Professor of Physics GailHanson led us on the tour. Later we metwith her research team: one graduatestudent, three postdoctoral researchersand a recent Ph.D. student. They areamong many teams worldwide engaged inthe search for the elusive Higgs boson, theelementary particle that is believed to giveother particles mass – which they lackedin the first moments after the Big Bang. Itis the final piece of the puzzle that formsthe standard model of physics.Those at CERN are so confident theywill find the Higgs boson within the nextyear that they are postponing a scheduledshutdown until the discovery is made.The excitement is palpable. And UCR ispart of the global research team. If theyfind it soon, I can say, “I was there!” Andif it takes longer, maybe I’ll have time togo back to graduate school.The UCR Physicistsat CERNRobert Clare – Researches electroweak andHiggs physics. His team helped commissionthe Compact Muon Solenoid facility atCERN, and he is deputy chair of the U.S.contingent at the solenoid facility.John Ellison – Works on searches for newparticles, including supersymmetric particlesand heavy neutrinos. He’s also helpingdesign a new pixel and tracking system to beinstalled when the Large Hadron Collider isupgraded, starting around 2018.J. William Gary – A member of the CompactMuon Solenoid collaboration, focusing onsearches for supersymmetry in events withbottom quarks, and contributing to operationof the hadronic calorimeter.Gail Hanson – Involved in the search for theHiggs boson and physics beyond thestandard model. She works on the CompactMuon Solenoid Silicon Tracker, as well as onresearch and development toward a futureneutrino factory and muon collider, probablyat Fermilab.Owen Long – Works on physics beyond thestandard model. As part of the CompactMuon Solenoid collaboration, he is searchingfor signs of supersymmetry.Stephen Wimpenny – Involved in LargeHadron Collider physics. He is collaboratingon the Compact Muon Solenoid experiment,with a focus on top quark physics.The Cast of ParticlesQuarks – elementary particles (point-like,with no internal structure) found insideprotons and other hadronsHadrons – any particle made from quarksGluons – force carrier particles that bindquarks inside hadronsTop quark – the heaviest quark, and the heaviestby far of all known elementary particlesBottom quark – the second-heaviest quark,distinguished by a long lifetimeHiggs boson – a hypothetical particle used toexplain how particles acquire mass. It is theonly Standard Model particle that has notyet been observed.Muons – heavier versions of electronsNeutrinos – neutral, nearly massless particlesthat interact only via weak nuclear forcesand so are almost invisibleUCR UCR Spring 2012 | 25 | 25