The particle physics and particle astrophysics (PPPA) group at the University of Sheffield has a long-standing involvement in Japan’s long-baseline neutrino programme. Currently we are involved in 3 projects, T2K, SuperKamiokande (“SuperK”) and HyperKamiokande (“HyperK”). T2K (Tokai to Kamioka) is a long-baseline experiment that creates neutrinos in the J-PARC facility and detects them in a “near detector” and again in SuperKamiokande, a huge 50,000 tonne Cerenkov detector almost 300 km away. HyperKamiokande is a planned next generation “far detector” with a fiducial volume of 180,000 tonnes. To date, T2K has provided world-leading measurements of the parameters in the CKM neutrino mixing matrix as well as first indications of CP violation in the neutrino sector.
Sheffield PhD students typically work on T2K with the option of involvement with either the SuperK or HyperK experiments. Over the past years our students have been involved in a broad range of T2K analyses including cross-section measurements, improving our understanding of neutrino-nucleus interactions and the discrimination between different supernovae models. In addition to these analysis topics, students have the opportunity to engage with the scientific programme of work that the Sheffield group is pursuing for both SuperK and HyperK. Currently this involves the design and testing of a pulsed light injection system for calibrating HyperK as well as software studies on the proposed system’s performance and the analysis of data coming out of a prototype calibration system deployed in SuperK. The sensitivity of HyperK to supernovae is also under study.
Students are expected to spend up to12 months, typically split over 2 trips, in Japan (either Tokai and/or Kamioka) and participate in T2K data-taking shifts during beam time. Language classes are provided when in Japan and are funded through the studentship.
Candidates should have a good knowledge of particle physics and programming skills.
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