The Columbia University Nevis Labs program in particle physics encompasses a broad spectrum of experiments. The program covers activities in 9 major programs: ATLAS, MiniBooNE, D0, Pierre Auger, HiRes, Reactor Experiment, NuTeV, ZEUS, and eBubble. These research programs address six of the nine interrelated questions raised by the recent Quantum Universe report that lays out the path ahead for particle physics.
Despite the profound understanding of the fundamental laws and particles achieved in the last 30 years, there remain fundamental unanswered questions about our universe: What is the nature of the universe and its composition? What are matter, energy, space and time? How did we get here and where are we going? How do cosmic accelerators work? If there are new symmetries or physical laws, one must look beyond the Standard Model through precision measurements and at the energy frontier. This research program does that. Supersymmetry may be observed at the Tevatron with D0, and should be observed at the CERN LHC with ATLAS. The mystery of dark energy may be related to the Higgs field, which may be discovered at the LHC. If there are extra dimensions to space, they too may be accessible at the LHC. The research program will also address the question of the nature of fundamental particles, and through precision measurements probe higher energy scales: top quarks (D0, ATLAS), Bs mesons (D0), protons (ZEUS), neutrinos (BooNE, NuTeV, Reactor), and sparticles (ATLAS). Sparticles could yield candidates for dark matter. In the area of neutrino physics, there are many unanswered questions: How many neutrinos are there? Can we measure CP violation now that we know they have mass and oscillate? These are questions to be addressed by MiniBooNE and eventually a Reactor Experiment. As we look back to the early universe, accelerators will be used to understand the electroweak phase transition (ATLAS).
At the intersection of particle physics and astronomy, the HiRes and Auger experiments will study the very highest energy particles seen in the universe that are to this day poorly understood. What is the composition of these ultra high energy cosmic rays? What are their sources and how are they accelerated?
The Columbia University Nevis Labs groups plan to continue to build on their very successful programs in education and outreach. The goal is to engage the full educational spectrum from high school students, high school teachers, undergraduates and the general public in understanding and doing high energy physics. A primary emphasis of the Columbia programs is to target underrepresented groups to participate in these activities. Although progress has been achieved in increasing the representation of women in physics, much still remains to be done in increasing minority representation. The activities range from individual faculty outreach efforts (lectures, tours, etc) to structured programs like the Research Experience for Undergraduates, Quarknet, and Physics Emasondosondo in South Africa.
