The student will be part of the ATLAS group in the Centre for Particle Physics at the University of Alberta. The group consists of two professors, two postdoctoral fellows, three graduate students and an estimated two summer students. Our group is helping to analyse data recorded by the ATLAS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider near Geneva.
My group is studying the possibility of the experiment being sensitive to low-scale quantum gravity states produced by the Large Hadron Collider. Theories of low-scale quantum gravity usually involve higher-dimensional space beyond our common three dimensions. String theory is one possible theory that requires higher-dimensional space. For many years, string theory has guided the direction of the "theory of everything". One drawback is that it is extremely difficult to find a unique prediction of the theory that can be testable in current or future experiments. Low-scale gravity and string models based on intersecting D-branes have recently allowed a connection to be made between the theory and experiment. The student will develop the phenomenology of this theory in the context of the ATLAS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider by searching for gravitational states.
The research will be computer-based. The student will perform phenomenological studies and simulation of physics process, or analysis data taken with the ATLAS detector. The working environment is very collaborative allowing the opportunity to work with other students and scientists throughout the world.
During the MSc program, the student will typically spend the first two terms taking courses. The student will spend the remaining time performing research by analysing data or performing simulations and phenomenology. One visit to the CERN Laboratory should be possible. The normal time for completion of the program should be two years.
During the PhD program, the student will typically spend the first two terms taking courses. After the candidacy exam during the second year, the student will have the opportunity to be resident at the CERN Laboratory living in either France or Geneva. The student will return to Edmonton to analysis data and write the thesis after about one year at the laboratory . The normal time for completion of the program should be four years.