Physics at the LHC -- From Standard Model measurements to Searches for New Physics

Abstract

The successful operation of the {\em Large Hadron Collider} (LHC) during the past two years allowed to explore particle interaction in a new energy regime. Measurements of important Standard Model processes like the production of high-\pt\ jets, $W$ and $Z$ bosons and top and $b$-quarks were performed by the LHC experiments. In addition, the high collision energy allowed to search for new particles in so far unexplored mass regions. Important constraints on the existence of new particles predicted in many models of physics beyond the Standard Model could be established. With integrated luminosities reaching values around 5 \ifb\ in 2011, the experiments reached as well sensitivity to probe the existence of the Standard Model Higgs boson over a large mass range. In the present report the major physics results obtained by the two general-purpose experiments ATLAS and CMS are summarized.