PhD Studentship on BSM contributions to processes with top quarks in ATLAS (2019)

What you get

You will receive:

• fully-funded tuition fees for 3 and a half years (at the UK/EU rate)
• a tax free bursary for living costs for 3 and a half years. For 2018/19 this is £14,777 per year
• a research training support grant for 3 and a half years of £1,250 per year

Type of award

Postgraduate Research

PhD project

A 3-and-a-half year PhD position is available in in the Sussex Experimental Particle Physics Group.

The University of Sussex Experimental Particle Physics group plays a critically important role in a number of experiments at the frontiers of our knowledge of particle physics, with main involvement in: the ATLAS experiment and its upgrades at the CERN Large Hadron Collider, the SNO+ neutrinoless double beta decay experiment at SNOLAB (Canada), the NOvA,  DUNE, and SBND neutrino oscillation experiments at Fermilab (USA), and the Neutron EDM experiment at PSI (Switzerland).

A fully funded PhD studentship is available to join the Sussex team working on the ATLAS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider. Lacking clear signals of physics beyond the Standard Model, it is crucial to investigate whether small new physics contributions may affect rare Standard Model processes. Focusing mainly on the associated production of top quarks with vector bosons, the candidate will further develop a strategy to use inclusive and differential cross section measurements sensitive to different contributions in the framework of Standard Model Effective Field Theories. Given the current limits, advanced analysis techniques, possibly involving the use of machine learning techniques, will have to be explored. The ATLAS-Sussex group has a remarkable track record in investigating new physics connected with third generation quarks, in particular in the area of supersymmetry and dark matter production in association with tops and bottoms. The group has also had significant contributions in all measurements of ttZ production in three-lepton final states performed so far in ATLAS: profiting from this role of the group, the candidate will be ideally positioned to make large impact in this sector, also through close contact with CERN-based experts

Eligibility

To be eligible you must:

• be a UK/European Union (EU) student who has been resident in the UK/EU for at least three years.
• have or expect to have a UK undergraduate/master’s degree, or equivalent, in Physics or a related subject.

We also welcome applications from self-funded non-EU students interested in our experimental programme, and there is also a funding opportunity for Chinese nationals through a China Scholarship Council/Sussex joint scholarship.

 

Deadline

28 February 2019 9:10

How to apply

Apply online here.

Select the PhD in Physics with a September 2019 start date.

In the Finance section, you should enter the name of the studentship, which is: BSM contributions to processes with top quarks in ATLAS

Be sure to supply all of the required documents, particularly your transcripts and the details of two referees.

Due to the high volume of applications received, you may only hear from us if your application is successful

Contact us

For more details about the project, please contact Prof. Iacopo Vivarelli: I.Vivarelli@sussex.ac.uk

For practical questions about applications and/or eligibility for funding, please contact Rebecca Foster at: mpsresearchsupport@sussex.ac.uk 

For academic questions please contact the coordinator of EPP PhD admissions, Dr. W. Clark Griffith: W.C.Griffith@sussex.ac.uk

Timetable

The position will be filled as soon as a suitable candidate is found so you should apply as soon as you are able to. Interviews of shortlisted candidates will be held in February and March