Hon.-Prof. Allen C. Caldwell

Courses and Dates

Offered Bachelor’s or Master’s Theses Topics

Germanium Detektor Entwicklung

Das MPI bietet eine Bachelorarbeit auf dem Gebiet der Germanium Detektortechnik an. Das MPI betreibt eine Reihe von Prüfständen. Der erfolgreiche Kandidat wird einige Messungen durchführen mit neuartigen Germanium-Detektoren durchführen und eine erste Analyse im Hinblick auf die Detektor-F&E durchführen. The MPI offers a bachelor thesis in the field of germanium detector technology. The MPI operates a number of test stands. The successful candidate will conduct some measurements with novel germanium detectors and perform a first analysis with respect to detector R&D.

suitable as

• Bachelor’s Thesis Physics

Supervisor: Allen C. Caldwell

Modernes Rechnen, Statistik und Maschinelles Lernen

You will develop novel algorithms in the context of the Bayesian Analysis Toolkit. Possibilities include implementing a Nested Sampling algorithm, developing highly parallelized versions of Markov Chain Monte Carlo algorithms, developing novel test statistics for rare event searches, etc. The specific topic will be decided based on the background and interests of the student.

suitable as

• Bachelor’s Thesis Physics

Supervisor: Allen C. Caldwell

Neuartige Clustering-Methoden für die Jetsuche in Hochenergiekollisionen

Quarks and Gluons scattered in high energy collisions result in so-called jets of observed particles in the detectors such as ATLAS or CMS. Recognizing and grouping the scattered particles into jets is a form of clustering. Algorithms have been developed in the particle physics community for this task and are in common use. The Master's project will investigate whether the state-of-the-art techniques developed in the computer science community can bring a benefit to the jet finding algorithms used in particle physics. The project will be co-supervised by scientists from the particle physics and computer science departments.

suitable as

• Master’s Thesis Nuclear, Particle, and Astrophysics

Supervisor: Allen C. Caldwell

Neue Methoden zur Messung der Tau-Masse mit dem Belle II Experiment in Japan

The tau lepton is the least understood lepton of the Standard model. Its short lifetime and decays involving invisible particles make it the most challenging charged lepton to study. The Belle II experiment at KEK in Japan will provide an unprecedentedly large dataset of tau lepton events, enabling highly precise measurements of the properties of this particle. In this project, new approaches to measuring the tau lepton mass will be investigated, making use of simulation studies to explore the potential of this new technique, with possible subsequent applications to real data in longer-term projects.

suitable as

• Bachelor’s Thesis Physics

Supervisor: Allen C. Caldwell

Partikelzerfall-Vertex-Rekonstruktion

The Belle II experiment, situated in Tsukuba, Japan, performs precision measurements of parameters of the Standard Model using decays of B mesons. The MPI Belle II group is very involved in measurements that depend on the decay time of the B mesons. This type of measurements can provide very strong constraints on the Standard Model, and they require a precise knowledge of the position of the B meson decay, the so called B vertex. It is therefore primordial to have an excellent knowledge of the B vertex resolution, and to be able to calibrate it using control channels. The project proposed here will be the development of a calibration method using  the decay of D0 mesons to four charged tracks as a control channel. Measuring the resolution on the distance between two pairs of tracks in the D0 decay provides a very useful way to control the vertex resolution using real data. The student will develop the selection and full analysis of this control channel, and his or her results will be an important input for all forthcoming time-dependent analyses at Belle II.

suitable as

• Bachelor’s Thesis Physics

Supervisor: Allen C. Caldwell

Studien zur Belle-II-Physik

New theoretical studies indicate an up to 5% difference of the calculated cross section from final state radiation on the measurement of the B0 -> K+pi- cross section.  The student will implement  the new calculations in a Monte Carlo simulation program. The impact will be studies and included in the systematic error and verified in the data.

suitable as

• Bachelor’s Thesis Physics

Supervisor: Allen C. Caldwell

Suche nach Physik jenseits des Standardmodells in Tau-Zerfällen mit dem Belle II Experiment in Japan

The tau lepton is the least understood lepton of the Standard model. Its short lifetime and decays involving invisible particles make it the most challenging charged lepton to study. On the other hand it is the most promising lepton candidate to display BSM signatures, since its high mass enhances the coupling to new effects in many New Physics models. Recently LHCb obtained results which are in tension with the SM, as there is an indication for Lepton Flavour Violation. The Belle II experiment at KEK in Japan is in a unique position to study the tau and being able to find signatures of dark matter, lepton flavour violation, or both. Several topics can be offered to students in this area, involving Machine learning methods and analysis with Bayesian Analysis tools.

suitable as

• Bachelor’s Thesis Physics

Supervisor: Allen C. Caldwell

Training des neuronalen Netzwerks für einen Spurauslöser beim Belle II Experiment

For the Belle II experiment at the SuperKEKB Collider located in Japan a first level track trigger has been launched recently, based on fast neural network techniques and implemented in Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGA). For the new round of experiments in this year, the machine luminosity will be substantially increased, accompanied with much larger expected backgrounds. The task of the thesis is to train sets of neural networks with real data taken by the Belle II experiment under the new conditions, and determine suitable neural architectures, optimized for high track efficiency and powerful background rejection. The resulting set of optimized networks will be implemented in the trigger hardware. Existing program chains for network training and performance analyses need to be mastered, suitably modified and physically exploited under the supervision of experienced physicists within the project.

suitable as

• Bachelor’s Thesis Physics

Supervisor: Allen C. Caldwell