The Bennett group in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Mississippi is part of the Belle II experiment at the SuperKEKB asymmetric-energy electron-positron accelerator, based in Tsukuba, Japan. The experiment is part of a search for physics beyond the Standard Model of particle physics, which describes the known particles and their interactions. Belle II operates at the "intensity frontier" in which high luminosity experiments collect massive data samples that analysts can use to search for rare or forbidden processes. Any discrepancies between theoretical expectations and experimental measurements may indicate the presence of new physics.
This material is based upon work supported by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science, Office of High Energy Physics under Award Number DE-SC0021274.
Charmed baryon physics
The next generation of particle physics experiments provides a unique opportunity to search for signs of new particles and interactions beyond the Standard Model (SM) of particle physics. The Bennett group searches for CP violation in charmed baryon decays using data from the Belle II experiment. Precision measurements will help to clarify the picture of CP violation in the charm sector and potentially open a window to physics beyond the Standard Model.
Belle II distributed computing
(Image from https://software.belle2.org)
Experiment at the "intensity frontier" take advantage of massive data samples to search for new physics by making precise measurements of rare and forbidden processes. These experiments face significant challenges related to the management and use of the enormous expected data samples, often relying on computing resources distributed around the world via grid computing. The Bennett group provides vital support for Belle II distributed computing, including development of grid-based user tools, documentation and training, and operations support.
"Search for CP violation in Ξ+c→Σ+h+h− and Λ+c→ph+h− at Belle II", M. Abumusabh et al. (Belle II Collaboration), https://arxiv.org/abs/2509.25765.
"Measurement of the Λc+ lifetime", F. Abudinen et al. (Belle II Collaboration), PRL 130, 071802 (2025). https://arxiv.org/abs/2206.15227.
"Charm lifetime measurements at Belle II",
J. Bennett, 20th conference on Flavor Physics and CP Violation (FPCP 2022), Oxford, MS, https://arxiv.org/abs/2207.07175
"Measurement of the resonant and non-resonant branching ratios in Ξc0 → Ξ0 K+ K-", J. T. McNeil et al. (The Belle Collaboration), https://journals.aps.org/prd/abstract/10.1103/PhysRevD.103.112002 (2021)
88th Annual Meeting of the Southeastern Section of the APS, Tallahassee, FL (Nov 2021)
"Measurement of the Ξc+ Lifetime with Belle II Simulations", Paul Gebeline (undergraduate)
"Monte Carlo Study of B− → D0 τν with Belle II", Sakul Mahat (undergraduate)
"Study of proton detection efficiency at Belle II", Wil Stacy (undergraduate)
"Λ0 asymmetry at Belle II", Matthew Mestayer (undergraduate)
"Sensitivity study for a branching fraction measurement of Ξ+𝑐 decays to Σ+𝜋+𝜋− at Belle II", A. Panta, APS April Meeting (2021)
"The Belle II Physics Book," E. Kou et al. (Belle II Collaboration), https://doi.org/10.1093/ptep/ptz106 (2019)
Jake Bennett
Assistant Professor
Orcid
Google scholar
Curriculum Vitae
Quinn Campagna
Graduate student
LinkedIn
Paul Gebeline
Graduate student
GitHub
Logan Benninghoff
Graduate student
Previous group members:
Michel Hernandez Villanueva (former postdoc)
Currently staff scientist at Brookhaven National Laboratory
Janaka Kospalage (former postdoc)
Currently Visiting Assistant Professor at Colorado State University Pueblo
Anil Panta (former PhD student)
Currently staff scientist at Thomas Jefferson National Laboratory
Saroj Pokharel (former PhD student)
Currently Instructional Assistant Professor at the University of Florida
John Wil Stacy (former MS student)
Currently Medical Physicist's Assistant at St Jude's
Dinura Hettiarachchi (former MS student)
Currently graduate student at the University of Ottawa
Azwad Adnan (former MS student)
Currently graduate student at Louisiana Tech University