Research at Glasgow

The LHCb group at Glasgow has been involved in the construction of two major subdetectors which will enable precison measurements at LHCb: the VErtex LOcator (VELO), which is responsible for the precise reconstruction of primary and secondary vertices and provides LHCb with the proper time resolution required for its time-dependent measurements; and the Ring Imaging CHerenkov (RICH) detector, which provides LHCb with the particle identification required to separate topologically identical B decays such as B -> &pi&pi and B -> KK. With the LHCb construction nearing its end, the Glasgow group is taking a leading role in the alignment and simulation of the VELO subdetector in preparation for first data taking near the end of 2008.

The Glasgow LHCb group also has a significant programme of physics analysis, which will aim to exploit the potential of LHCb to discover New Physics in the heavy flavour sector. The group is taking a leading role in the measurement of the CKM angle &gamma from the New Physics sensitive decay modes B -> hh as well as from tree level decays such as B_q -> D_q u_q. Alongside probing New Physics in CP violation, both measurements will also probe the validity of important QCD models such as U-spin symmetry and Heavy Quark Expansion (HQE). The group is also leading the way in the precision measurements of the decay channel B -> K* µµ , which will probe New Physics through measurements of the dimuon mass distribution, differential branching ratio, and forward backward asymmetry.

Please explore the links on the left for more details about these measurements!