Research

I'm seeking for new physics by studying neutrinos. Neutrinos are the most abundant matter particles, yet we know the least about them because of their elusive nature. Various anomalous phenomena have appeared in neutrino experiments in the past decades, illuminating a path forward to find new physics. As an experimental particle physicist, my best bet to find new physics is to investigate these puzzling anomalies using advanced detector technologies. MicroBooNE is such an experiment, using a device called a liquid argon time projection chamber (LArTPC). With the beautiful images obtained from LArTPCs, we can explore neutrino interactions with more details than ever and start to provide answers to some of the most fundamental questions in nature.

MicroBooNE


MicroBooNE has been taking neutrino data since 2015, becoming the longest operational LArTPC experiment in the world. The collaboration is in the crucial phase of demonstrating the LArTPC's capability of producing physics results, including many first measurements of neutrino - Ar cross-sections, and the ultimate answer to MiniBooNE's anomaly and its indication to new physics. Check out MicroBooNE's official website here.

UCSB group is on critical path to deliver result for MicroBooNE's flagship analysis by looking at the most inclusive channel with EM activity and subsequently identifying the source(s) of MiniBooNE anomaly.


SBND

SBND is the near detector of Fermilab's Short Baseline Neutrino program. Located only ~100m from the beam target, SBND will provide flux and cross-section constraints for the eV-scale neutrino oscillation measurement, and offer unique opportunity for other exotic new particles potentially produced at the neutrino beamline. The experiment is currently in its prime time for detector commissioning.

Our group's physics goal at SBND is to pursue BSM searches. Towards this goal, we are actively contributing to the detector commissioning with the focus on design and deliver the BSM trigger systems.

Drawing of SBND detector

Graduate student Erin Yandel working on wire plane installation for SBND


DUNE

DUNE is the future long baseline neutrino oscillation experiment targeting on measuring CP violation in neutrino sector, the neutrino mass ordering, as well as non-oscillation physics including detections of rare decay process and supernova neutrinos. DUNE official website: here

Coldbox test at CERN (fall 2021)

Our group's contribution to DUNE includes photon detector R&D for Vertical Drift module (2nd far-detector) and scintillation light analysis . Our long-term goal is to expand the DUNE physics reach to probe new physics at low energy.

Detector R&D

In the process of setting up the LArTPC facility at UCSB to enable the following detector R&D projects:

  • Investigate sources of the background scintillation light signatures and their impact to low energy physics.

  • Optimize the detector design for DUNE far detectors with special interest of Xenon doped single phase liquid argon for better light signals.

  • Optimize the detector design for DUNE near detector complex with special interests of high pressure gaseous argon TPC , pixel readout, Dune prism.