BUTTERWORTH1	Modelling the highest energy collisions in the world
Type	Theoretical, but including interpretation of experimental data
#students	2 or 3
Orientation	Why is the scientific problem of interest at all? Particle colliders provide access to the highest energies and shortest distances, allowing us to extend the frontiers of knowledge of the fundamental forces and particles of the universe. However, without detailed modeling of the particle produced in particle collisions, we cannot understand what they are telling us about these forces and particles.
How	How is the research going to shed light on the given problem? Various “Monte Carlo generators” implement particle physics calculations in such a way that they can be compared to data. These models are continually being improved and extended, and more data are appearing; testing one against the other is key to making progress as it quantifies how good are the various approximations involved and whether mistakes have been made. This is the core of the project.
What	What is the specific thing that the student will do, and how does it fit inside the overall project? The students will use the Rivet software toolkit to compare data from particle colliders with the predictions of Monte Carlo models, and may contribute to Rivet by writing additional modules in C++, and/or tuning parameters of new Monte Carlo versions to data. The project provides an opportunity to learn about current research in high-energy physics. Students will work together on the coding aspects, but each will have an independent physics paper/goal to work on.
Special Knowledge	Programming experience
Supervisor	Prof. Jon Butterworth-Dr Ben Waugh J.Butterworth@ucl.ac.uk B.Waugh@ucl.ac.uk