Geneva: Khalifa University of Science and Technology today announced its official membership in the ATLAS collaboration at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at the European Organisation for Nuclear Research (CERN), the world's largest particle physics laboratory, located in Geneva, Switzerland.
According to Emirates News Agency, Khalifa University has also become a member of the ATLAS experiment as well as the UAE-ATLAS Cluster, which comprises three other universities. This membership will increase the visibility of the Khalifa University College of Engineering and Physical Sciences, facilitating student exchange programmes and contributing to scientific publications. The research plans are focused on physics beyond the Standard Model, Physics Modelling, Jet Physics, and Physics-Computing multidisciplinary research topics.
Khalifa University's membership was announced during the 109th ATLAS Collaboration Board meeting that includes 182 international academic institutions from 42 countries. The ATLAS experiment is among the four principal experiments at the LHC. It is a collaboration of physicists, engineers, technicians, and students from around the world.
Prof. Bayan Sharif, Provost of Khalifa University, stated that joining the ATLAS Collaboration aligns with the university's strategic vision to advance scientific research and innovation. This membership offers global exposure and the chance to participate in a prestigious scientific research consortium, contributing to discoveries in particle physics while strengthening partnerships among local and international institutions.
During a visit to CERN, Prof. Bayan Sharif and Prof. Ahmed Al Durra, Associate Provost for Research, emphasized that the ATLAS collaboration would facilitate collaboration with international partners and drive innovation by involving Khalifa University students in high-energy physics.
The Khalifa University ATLAS group, led by Dr. Rachik Soualah, includes Dr. Issam Qattan, three PhD students, a postdoc, and a computer engineer. The group focuses on computational and data analysis, which are essential for extracting results from the data accumulated by the ATLAS experiment. Plans are underway to recruit more students and postdoctoral researchers to strengthen the group's capabilities.
Khalifa University will actively engage in ATLAS's future activities, contributing to the analysis of Run 3 data and preparing for Run 4, marking the first LHC operations in the next phase. Exchange programmes will provide students with hands-on experience in research at CERN, fostering innovation and interdisciplinary research.