Study of fragmentation function and jets in LHC events

• Grant number: 16/07300-8
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: July 01, 2016
• End date: December 31, 2016
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Physics - Elementary Particle Physics and Fields
• Principal Investigator: Jun Takahashi
• Grantee: Gabriella Dantas Franco
• Host Institution: Instituto de Física Gleb Wataghin (IFGW). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil

Abstract

This project seeks to provide an introduction to some specific topics in Particle Physics, to complement her studies of undergraduate Physics level and prepare her to join our graduate program with a project in this field. The student will study the basics of the theory related to particle production in high-energy collisions, and models related to the hadronization process. Formation of Particle Jets will be studied through the use of simulations and application of existing models and comparison to results from LHC experimental data. The project will be developed within the Hadronic Experimental Physics Group (Hadrex) of the Gleb Wataghin Physics Institute at UNICAMP. Our research group is an active member of the ALICE collaboration at the LHC. Being directly connected with the researches of the group, there will be support from the other members, such as master students, doctorate students and PhD students. The detailed study of differences in the fragmentation models together with model simulations and analysis algorithms will allow us to evaluate which experimental observable may be sensitive to different fragmentation models. In addition to the direct interest in understanding the hadronization process, the details of the parton fragmentation and formation of Particle Jets is also of interest to the field of Relativistic Heavy Ion Physics. That's because Jets work as "probes" to the so called Quark-Gluon Plasma [1,2], since they can interact with this very hot and dense medium and hence be affected by this interaction. With this study we seek to find new experimental observables that can provide detailed information about hadronization process and the changes in Jet structure caused by the crossing of the Quark-Gluon Plasma, which may be useful in ALICE collaboration's future analysis. (AU)