Project description
The QCD theory describes the interaction of quarks and gluons. At low energy only bound states of quarks, such as the proton, are observed experimentally. The best way to solve QCD for the properties of the bound states of quarks is to discretize the theory by putting it on a lattice. The resulting equations are solved numerically using specialized Monte Carlo techniques. There are many applications that require the solution of QCD so that the standard model of particle physics can be tested, for example to help analyze experimental results from the LHC or the experiment to measure the properties of the muon at the Fermilab particle physics laboratory in the USA. The main project for the student will be the computation of the properties of hadrons using lattice QCD and high performance computers. The PhD student will further investigate the use of AI in the analysis part of a lattice QCD calculation by using techniques such as Gaussian Processes.
The University has recently invested just over £1 million in a new High Performance Computing (HPC) cluster, which the student will use for their research. The student will also have access to large HPC systems run by DIRAC. The student will be trained in using HPC by the supervision team and at national training events. The theory group at the University of Plymouth are part of the Virtual Centre for UK Lattice Field Theory (UKLFT) and the student would participate in the activities of the Centre.
