EDUCATION:

B.A. 1985, Swarthmore College
M.Sc. 1987 Oxford University
Ph.D. 1993, Harvard University

RESEARCH:

I am a particle physicist pursuing research in neutrino physics. I am co-spokesperson of the MiniBooNE Experiment , which is designed to observe muon-neutrino to electron-neutrino oscillations. MiniBooNE is motivated mainly by results from the LSND experiment, which can be interpreted as antimuon-neutrino to antielectron-neutrino oscillations with a probability of 0.31 ± 0.11 ± 0.05)%. MiniBooNE is designed to provide a definitive test of this result, obtaining approximately 300 events with >4 sigma significance upon confirmation. If MiniBooNE confirms this signal, then significant changes are demanded of our current model for understanding the building blocks of nature. In light of results from other neutrino experiments, a positive MiniBooNE result will indicate that nature contains at least four different types of neutrinos, at least one of which would be almost totally non-interacting (or sterile). I have been involved in the phenomenology of sterile neutrinos, such as 3+2 models The MiniBooNE experiment also explores a wide range of other physics. The Exotics Group is searching for evidence of exotic particles, such as neutral heavy leptons; exotic neutrino properties, such as neutrino magnetic moments; and rare astrophysical events, such as supernovae. The Cross Sections Group is pursuing precision measurements. These are interesting in-and-of themselves, but also provide important input to other neutrino and proton decay experiments. MiniBooNE is now taking data at Fermilab in Chicago Illinois. We presently use an neutrino beam, but plan to run, in the future, with an antineutrino beam. The beam is produced using protons from the Fermilab Booster which strike a beryllium target, producing charged secondaries which decay to neutrinos. The secondary beam is aimed toward the MiniBooNE detector via a state-of-the-art magnetic device called a horn. The detector sits 500 m from the target and is a 40 ft diameter sphere filled with mineral-oil and surrounded by phototubes. The target region is 450 t. The beamline, horn, detector (which is awesomely beautiful!), and collaborators-at-work are shown in the  MiniBooNE Picture Gallery. I am also collaborating on a future neutrino experiment, which is presently in the design phase, called the Braidwood Experiment . The main goal of this experiment is to measure an important neutrino oscillation parameter which describes muon-neutrino to electron-neutrino oscillations consistent with atmospheric neutrino oscillations. I am also interested in using the Braidwood detector to measure the weak mixing angle . This is motivated by an anomalous measurement of this parameter by the NuTeV Experiment on which I participated. The Columbia Neutrino Group  has been involved in designing, testing and monitoring the horn and in selecting, testing and installing the phototubes. We are also involved in accelerator physics of the Booster which supplies the Fermilab primary beam. We are currently calibrating the detector and developing the first steps of our physics analyses. Our group consists of 2 professors, postdocs, graduate students, undergraduates, high school students and a high school teacher.

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS:

Available from my webpage ; Also see The APS Multidisciplinary Study on the Future of Neutrino Physics which has a nice introduction to neutrino oscillations, and discusses the importance of MiniBooNE and Braidwood.

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