Hyeon Jin Kim

Graduation Semester and Year

2010

Language

English

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy in Physics and Applied Physics

Department

Physics

First Advisor

Jaehoon Yu

Abstract

The Standard Model of particle physics describes very precisely the nuclear strong and weak forces and the eletromagnetic interaction, by the exchange of vector bosons. It also describes all matter as composed of quarks and leptons and predicts their interactions. The Higgs boson is the last missing piece of the Standard Model, yet to be observed. The search for the Higgs particle is one of the most important goals of the ATLAS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). The ATLAS electromagnetic (EM) calorimeter is a crucial subdetector system of the ATLAS detector in searching for the Higgs boson, in particular its final states that include high pT photons or electrons. To be able to detect the rare Higgs signals, the EM calorimeter must be not only be able to precisely measure the energy and direction of electrons and photons, but also identify electrons and photons against the overwhelming background from hadronic jets that mimic these particles. The discrimination against these background can be achieved by measuring the detailed shape of the EM showers. The shower shape variables characterizing an EM showers in the calorimeter are correlated. The covariant matrix technique, or H-matrix method, takes advantage of these correlations for electron and photon identification. This thesis presents the electron and photon identification algorithms for ATLAS, based on the covariant matrix technique and their performance for single, isolated electrons and photons as well as for photons and electrons from several signal physics processes, along with the rejections against highly electromagnetic jets. The process Z &rarr &mu &mu &gamma is studied as a possible signal in the upcomingATLAS data to calibrate the photon identification tools. This channel appears promisingin terms of statistics given the large integrated luminosity expected at the LHC and could provide a pure sample of photon. This thesis presents the feasibility of the calibration of photon identification using this channel.Prior to the LHC collisions, high-energy bremsstrahlung photons produced by cosmic ray muons passing through the ATLAS calorimeter provide valuable data that can used to validate the Monte Carlo simulation modeling of the ATLAS detector. The shower shape variables measured in the calorimeter with the cosmic ray data are compared with the prediction from the Monte Carlo simulation.The Higgs decaying to two photon final state is one of the cleanest discovery channelsfor the Standard Model Higgs boson in the low mass range 115 < mH < 150 GeV/c2.This thesis also presents the prospects for observing $H \to \gamma \gamma$ and the significance of this signal, when using photon identification algorithm based on covariant matrix.

Disciplines

Physical Sciences and Mathematics | Physics

Comments

Degree granted by The University of Texas at Arlington

Download

Included in

Physics Commons

Share

COinS