Development and Application of Techniques for the Experimental Detection of Dark Matter
Course Credit?
Yes - PH490Paid Position?
NoPreferred Majors
Chemistry | Computer Science | Electrical Engineering | Mathematics | Mechanical Engineering | PhysicsFaculty
Jerome BusenitzDescription
Faculty and students in the Department of Physics and Astronomy are collaborating on the LZ dark matter search experiment to test the hypothesis that dark matter, comprising more than 85% of the total mass of the universe, is comprised of weakly interacting massive particles. The main contributions of the UA group to this effort are in the areas of carrying out sensitive radio-assays to select materials which are low in radioactivity, calibrating the response of the LZ detector to WIMP interactions, and developing algorithms based on the raw detector signals to discriminate between WIMP interactions and backgrounds. There are opportunities for undergraduates to build and evaluate prototypes, operate sensitive particle detectors and analyze the data acquired from them, carry out simulations of the detector to develop algorithms for analyzing the data that is expected to be acquired from actual detector, etc.
Special Skills
It is helpful, but not required, to know physics at the introductory level (equivalent to PH105, PH106, and PH253). The scope of projects in which one can participate increases significantly if one has experience in programming with C/C++, Java, or Python.