This dissertation explores philosophical issues that arise in the practice of contemporary particle physics. The first chapter is a historical sketch of how the particle physics community came to believe that the quantum field theories used in particle physics are best understood as effective field theories -- quantum field theories that become inapplicable at some short distance scale and incorporate this inevitable breakdown in their mathematical framework. The second chapter argues that, contrary to the claims of many philosophers, the unique mathematical resources and empirical successes of effective field theories means that they can and should be equipped with a realist interpretation. The third chapter turns to an issue that has been at the center of particle physics for the last 40 years, the problem of naturalness, and draws on the renormalization group to provide a univocal understanding of ``naturalness'' that can make sense of the way it is employed in physical practice. Finally in the fourth chapter I critically examine recent philosophical work which argues that different physical scales in quantum field theory enjoy a sense of autonomy, arguing that the formal results on which this recent work is based cannot support the conclusions with which they have been saddled.

ATLAS measurements of the production of muons from heavy flavor decays in √sNN = 2.76 TeV Pb+Pb collisions and √s = 2.76 TeV pp collisions at the LHC are presented. Integrated luminosities of 0.14 nb−1 and 570 nb−1 are used for the Pb+Pb and pp measurements, respectively. The measurements are performed over the transverse momentum range 4 < pT < 14 GeV and for five Pb+Pb centrality intervals. Backgrounds arising from in-flight pion and kaon decays, hadronic showers, and mis-reconstructed muons are statistically re- moved using a template fitting procedure. The heavy flavor muon differential cross-sections and per-event yields are measured in pp and Pb+Pb collisions, respectively. The nuclear modification factor, RAA, obtained from these is observed to be independent of pT, within uncertainties, and to be less than unity, which indicates suppressed production of heavy flavor muons in Pb+Pb collisions. For the 0–10% most central Pb+Pb events, the measured RAA is ∼ 0.35. The azimuthal modulation of the heavy flavor muon yields is also measured and the associated Fourier coefficients vn for n=2, 3 and 4 are given as a function of pT and centrality. They vary slowly with pT and show a systematic variation with centrality that is characteristic of other anisotropy measurements. The measured RAA and vn values are also compared with theoretical calculations. We also present the ATLAS di-muon azimuthal correlation from heavy flavor decay in √√sNN = 5.02 TeV Pb+Pb collisions and s = 5.02 TeV pp collisions. Heavy flavor muons with 4 < pT < 8 GeV are selected. The azimuthal correlations are measured for both same sign muon pairs and opposite sign muon pairs. Comparing with the azimuthal correlations in pp data, Pb+Pb results are observed to have more broadening. Central collisions are also more broadened than peripheral collisions. The integrated luminosities used in the dimuon measurement are 26 pb−1 for the pp data and 0.49 nb−1 for the Pb+Pb data. In ultra-relativistic heavy-ion collisions, dilepton pairs may be produced through the interaction of the large electromagnetic fields of the nuclei. A measurement of γγ → μ+μ− in inclusive Pb+Pb collisions at √sNN = 5.02 TeV using 0.49 nb−1 is presented in this thesis. The contribution from background sources of dimuons is removed using a template fit method. The angular and transverse momentum correlations between the muons are measured as a function of collision centrality. In peripheral collisions, the muons exhibit a strong back-to-back correlation consistent with previous measurements of dimuon production in ultra-peripheral collisions. The correlations are observed to broaden significantly in central collisions. The modifications are qualitatively consistent with attenuation of the muons while passing through the hot matter produced in the collision.

The spacetime dimensions of the particle source in proton-lead collisions at √sNN = 5.02 TeV are measured with the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider. Femtoscopic measurements are made from correlation functions built with charged pions identified by their ionization energy loss. The measured HBT radii that represent the source dimensions are presented differentially as a function of centrality, transverse momentum, and rapidity. The effect of jet fragmentation on the two-particle correlation function is studied, and a method using opposite-charge pair data to constrain its contributions to the measured correlations is described. The measured source sizes are substantially larger in more central collisions and are observed to decrease with increasing pair transverse momentum. A correlation of the radii with the local charged-particle density dN/dy is demonstrated. The scaling of the extracted radii with the mean number of participating nucleons is also used to compare a parameterization of an initial-geometry model that allows for fluctuations in the proton cross-section. The cross-term R_ol is measured as a function of rapidity, and a nonzero value is observed that agrees with hydrodynamic predictions. The HBT radii are also shown for central events in intervals of azimuthal angle relative to the 2nd-order event plane, pair transverse momentum, and flow vector magnitude, where the correlation functions are corrected for the event plane resolution. Significant modulations of the transverse HBT radii R_out, R_side, and R_os are observed. The orientation of this modulation is the same as that in heavy-ion collisions, in which they are attributed to hydrodynamic evolution from an elliptic initial geometry. The sign and transverse momentum dependence of these modulations are consistent with a hydrodynamic evolution of a short-lived medium.

This thesis presents the MicroBooNE search for the MiniBooNE low energy excess using a fully automated image based data reconstruction scheme. A suite of traditional and deep learning computer vision algorithms are developed for identification of charge current quasi-elastic (CCQE) like muon and electron neutrino interactions using the MicroBooNE detector. Given a model of the MiniBooNE low energy excess as due to an enhancement of electron neutrino type events, this analysis predicts a combined statistical and systematic 3.8σ low energy signal in 13.2 × 1020 POT of MicroBooNE data. When interpreted in the context of νμ → νe 3 + 1 sterile neutrino oscillations a best fit point of (∆m241, sin2 2θeμ) = (0.063,0.794) is found with a 90% confidence allowed region consistent with > 0.1 eV2 oscillations

Thesis. 1977. Sc.D.--Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Physics. / Microfiche copy available in Archives and Science. / Includes bibliographical references. / by C.Y. Lo. / Sc.D.

After an introduction to the variational principle of three body systems via the Helium atom, we present general analytical formulas for the radial parts of integrals that occur when three body systems are described using wave functions that consist of powers and exponentials in all three interparticle Hylleraas coordinates [Hylleraas1929]. This work is an extension of integrals given by Harris, Frolov and Smith, Jr. [Harris2004]. Specifically included are radial integrals encountered in calculations involving the dipole moment matrix element in Hylleraas coordinates that contain a function f(kr1) (such as a spherical Bessel function) in addition to a plane wave, a hydrogenic orbital and exponentials in all three interparticle coordinates.

No description available.

No description available.

No description available.

Bibliography: p. 156-162. Chronological list of the author's works: p. 155.