Particle Physics Experiment

We expect to offer at least one STFC-funded studentship working on ATLAS, starting in Sept/Oct 2026.

The Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN is probing the structure of matter at the highest energies achieved in a collider.  By making precision measurements in Higgs, top-quark, and electroweak physics we can probe the structure of the Standard Model and looking for deviations that could indicate new physics. 

Following the discovery of a Higgs-like particle at the LHC in 2012, many measurements remain to be made to verify whether it is a Standard-Model Higgs boson, or something more exotic.  In the ATLAS collaboration, the Glasgow group's main efforts are in the channels where a Higgs boson decays to b-quarks.  The LHC is a top-quark factory, and the ATLAS datasets allow unprecedented measurements of this, the heaviest of the known elementary particles.

We also study the behaviour of the strong nuclear force, Quantum Chromodynamics, which is a key factor in all LHC analyses and presents many theoretical difficulties that can only be resolved by confronting predictions with increasingly challenging experimental measurements. Our QCD analysis efforts are centred on understanding how heavy c and b quarks are produced, and the structure of QCD particle jets: these aspects of QCD are central to our programme of Higgs and top-quark measurements.

The successful candidate will undertake exciting research within a strong Glasgow ATLAS group.  They will be expected to travel for short trips to CERN, Geneva and will have the opportunity to spend an extended period at CERN.

Projects for 2026 are listed below:

ATLAS Project 1: Searching for New Physics using Quantum Interference and Quantum Information at the LHC

Supervisor: Dr James Howarth

The research team led by Dr Howarth recently observed Quantum Entanglement in quarks for the first time, at the highest ever energies, using the ATLAS experiment. This project will focus on exploiting this new and exciting field of Quantum Information research at hadron colliders using top quark decays in a qubit state and Higgs boson decays in a qutrit stat, to search for signs of new physics that have otherwise evaded traditional searches. We will analyse the full LHC Run2 and Run3 datasets and create new and novel quantum-interference-based observables to search for deviations in the properties of the top quarks and Higgs boson that may be caused by new fundamental forces, couplings to new fundamental particles, or the breakdown of Quantum Mechanics itself at high energies.

We may also be able to offer:

ATLAS Project 2: Searching for new physics in the Higgs-top-quark coupling

Supervisor: Prof Mark Owen

In the standard model, the mass of the fermions is generated by interactions of the fermions with the Higgs field. This means the huge mass of the top quark (the heaviest fundamental particle observed to date) is understood in the standard model as originating from a very strong coupling between the Higgs boson and the top quark. We can measure this coupling by measuring the simultaneous production of a Higgs boson and two top quarks (ttH). If we were to see differences to the standard model prediction, then this could be a sign of new physics beyond the standard model. In this project we’ll analyse the LHC Run-3 data to measure the ttH process, targeting high momentum Higgs bosons where deviations from the standard model are most likely to occur.

We expect to offer an STFC-funded studentship working on LHCb, starting in Sept/Oct 2026.

Potential projects for 2026 are listed below:

LHCb Project: Measurement of the Unitarity Angle Alpha and Mighty Tracker electronics

Supervisor: Prof Paul Soler

The LHCb group at Glasgow collaborates on searches for lepton flavour violation, searches for new exotic resonances and measurements of CP violation in both charm and beauty hadrons. LHCb carries out a multitude of CP violation studies from B meson decays, to overconstrain the unitarity triangle and measure all of its angles. The unitarity angle alpha is the least well known of these angles. In this project, you will aim to measure alpha from the decays of neutral B mesons into four charged pions. In a previous PhD project, we initiated the study of B0 -> pi+pi-pi+pi- decays, carrying out a preliminary amplitude analysis. The goal of this PhD project is to perform a CP-violation study of B0->pi+pi-pi+pi- decays, by measuring the time-dependent evolution of the decay amplitude of different decay channels decaying into four pions. The ultimate goal of the project is to perform the most accurate measurement of the unitarity angle alpha.

In addition, the group is leading developments for the electronics of the new Mighty Tracker for LHCb’s Upgrade-2. This detector will be an advanced tracking detector downstream of the LHCb magnet, to operate at the high-luminosity LHC. Depending on capabilities and experience, you will carry out testing of the Mighty Tracker electronics and participate in test beams to characterise data from prototypes. Alternatively, you could be involved in developing the GEANT4 simulation of the Upgrade-2 detector, including the Mighty Tracker.

The successful candidate will work with the Glasgow group and LHCb collaborators in the UK and abroad. You will be expected to travel for short trips to CERN, and you will have the opportunity to spend an extended period of up to a year working at CERN with other UK graduate students and international researchers. While the candidate would be funded by a STFC PhD scholarship, we would be glad to consider candidates for other scholarship funding opportunities.

We do not expect to offer an STFC funded position for the Sep/Oct 2026 round, but we welcome applications from interested potential scholarship applications.

The Glasgow group is involved in the Japan-based Kamioka neutrino program, working primarily on the 295km-baseline T2K experiment; detection of astrophysical and reactor neutrinos with Super-K; and on the design and construction of the next-generation Hyper-K experiment.  
The main physics goal of the program is to establish whether CP symmetry is broken by neutrino oscillations.  CP symmetry implies that the laws of physics treat matter and anti-matter the same way, with the only known exception being the Kobayashi–Maskawa (KM) mechanism.  This is well-established in neutral mesons, but is thought to be insufficient to explain the dominance of matter in the observable universe.  Neutrino oscillations are the only other system known where the KM mechanism could occur, and the T2K experiment has recently provided tantalising hints that CP symmetry might be broken here as well.

We expect to offer up to two positions in detector development starting in Sept/Oct 2026.

The Glasgow Experimental particle physics group has a long-standing expertise in the development and deployment of advanced detector systems for particle physics and for applications outside of particle physics.

The group has a focus on the development of silicon-based detectors and data transfer off module. Presently we are focused on the development of the upgraded ATLAS and LHCb silicon vertex and tracking sub-detectors. For the ATLAS project we have developed the strip detector module and the pixel detector module for the inner tracking system, the ITk. For LHCb, we developed the opto-electrical data transfer links for the present vertex upgrade and are now working on fast timing pixel detectors for the VELO (vertex detector) and on monolithic CMOS sensors for the Mighty Tracker.

For application outside of the particle physics we are developing small pitch pixel sensors with internal gain to be coupled to the TimePix family of pixel chips. Working with many industrial partners we are developing devices and systems for X-ray and electron detection for a range of applications, including for synchrotrons and electron microscopy.

We have a wide range of equipment to support technology research and development, including our own flip-chip bonder for pixel muddle assembly, wire-bonders, probe stations, and a comprehensive range of device characterisation and metrology equipment.

PhD opportunities exist for the development of sensors including monolithic CMOS and fast timing sensors, module assembly techniques, DAQ, data-transfer techniques for the next generation of particle physics experiments and for applications outwith particle physics. Excellent opportunities exist for training, working overseas and placements at industrial partners.

Detector Development Project 1: Development of radiation hard timing silicon detectors (joint with CNM, Barcelona)

Supervisor: Dr Richard Bates (Glasgow), Prof. Giulio Pellegrini (CNM)

Future particle physics experiments require radiation hard silicon detectors with precision special and timing resolution. This PhD will develop such detectors based on 3D detector technology. 3D detectors have shown to be the most radiation hard detectors. IBM-CNM has an established 4-inch wafer technology for 3D detectors used in the current ATLAS IBL. The present 3D design achieves excellent radiation hardness. The PhD will extend the design to reach the maximum potential timing resolution of this technology. The initial two years will be spent at the IMB-CNM in Barcelona, to design and fabricate the devices, while the final 18 months will be spent at the UoG for the characterisation. This work will be performed within the framework of the CERN DRD3 collaboration. It is expected that the student will present their work at international workshops and conferences throughout the PhD.

Objectives of the PhD
• Design and simulation of 3D detectors for optimized timing resolution
• Design the fabrication process based on the IBM-CNM technology
• Develop the 6-inch wafer process of 3D silicon detectors at IBM-CNM
• Characterise the devices in the lab (in Glasgow) and at test beams (including at CERN)

Research groups: IMB-CNM RDG and UoG Particle physics group 

Please note that candidates for this position must be UK or EU citizens

Detector Development Project 2: Development of silicon tracking modules for the next generation of particle physics experiments.

Supervisors: Prof. Craig Buttar and Dr. Petra Riedler (CERN)

Silicon tracking modules are at the heart of many particle physics experiments providing data that allows a wide range of physics to be explored: Higgs, top and searches for new physics.
New technologies are developed for the next generation of experiments within the CERN-DRD programme. Key areas that are being explored are developing low-mass modules and integrating optical readout for high data rates.
There are three broad areas within the project. The first is the identifying candidate low-mass materials and interconnects, and building prototype modules that will characterised in the lab and in testbeams. The second area will design and construct modules with optical readout for data rates and test the performance in the lab and testbeams. The third area will be investigating the performance gains that can be achieved with the new module designs using simulations of events and track reconstruction software.
This project will require good lab and software skills.
The project will be for 3 years and based at CERN. This project will be funded to CERN doctoral student programme. The successful candidate will apply to CERN doctoral programme.

We do not expect to offer an STFC-funded studentship in this area starting in Sept/Oct 2026, but would be glad to consider candidates for scholarship funding.

The Glasgow group has been a central part of the analysis of the pre-2018 data, working on both the normalisation channel and the upstream backgrounds in the signal channel.  The LHC "Long Shutdown 3" has provided a window of opportunity to develop more modern analysis techniques using Machine Learning to improve upon previous cut-based analysis for the data taken from 2021 onwards.