Particle Physics - Experimental

Science Goal: Search for axion dark matter using quantum and microwave technologies.

Yale Involvement: Yale is responsible for systems engineering, cryogenics, and magnetics. Lamoreaux and Maruyama are PIs of HAYSTAC, Maruyama is deputy spokesperson of ALPHA and PI of RAY.

Science Goal: Precision tests of the standard model and new physics searches; including characterizing the Higgs Boson and using it to probe for new physics.

Yale Involvement: The Yale team has critical responsibilities in the ATLAS collaboration for data quality and detector upgrades. Wright Lab has been the host of R&D and now construction of critical elements of the ATLAS tracker upgrade for the hI-LHC era.

Science goal: Search for direct detection of dark matter, probing for an annual modulation in the signal reported by the DAMA/ LIBRA collaboration.

Yale involvement: Maruyama is the PI and scientific co-spokesperson of COSINE-100.

Science goal: Search for and measure the yet unknown neutrino mixing angle theta13.

Yale involvement: Yale has overall responsibility in the U.S. for the design and construction of the antineutrino detectors and is involved in data analysis and measurements.

Science goal: Enable the study of parameters that determine the matter-antimatter imbalance in the Universe and the ordering of neutrino mass states.

Yale involvement: Yale is responsible for the assembly of Charge Readout Planes at Wright Lab and studying the detector response.

Science goal: Search for neutrinos by studying exploding stars, gamma-ray bursts, black holes, and neutron stars.

Yale involvement: The Maruyama group studies how supernovae explode, as well as fundamental properties of neutrinos.

Science Goal: Search for the conversion of a muon directly to an electron in the field of a nucleus. This process is all but forbidden in the Standard Model, and a signal at Mu2e would be a clear sign of new physics.

Yale Involvement: The Demers group is heavily engaged with development on the Mu2e trigger, including writing and optimizing algorithms and leadership in the Trigger and Data Acquisition group. Demers is on the Mu2e publications board and led the “Engaging Non-Experts” group to help onboard new collaboration members.

Science goal: Precision measurements of antineutrinos, search for sterile neutrinos, & develop technology for monitoring nuclear reactors for safeguard and non-proliferation.

Yale involvement: PROSPECT was designed and built at Wright Lab in collaboration with national labs and other universities.

The Moore Group is developing new technologies aimed at answering some of the major outstanding questions in nuclear and particle physics.  Answering these questions requires applying cutting-edge techniques from particle, nuclear, atomic, and optical physics in experiments aimed at understanding the basic building blocks of the universe.