Dr. Tim Bolton and Dr. Glenn Horton-Smith:  Neutrino Physics at K-State

Email:  bolton@phys.ksu.edu  or  gahs@phys.ksu.edu

We seek two students to assist with operation of the KSU Cosmogenic Li-9 production experiment.  This is a ~ 1m^3 liquid scintillator detector installed in the high bay laboratory at K-State that is designed to study the rare production of the radionuclide Li-9 by cosmic ray muons.  Li-9 undergoes a correlated neutron-beta decay that closely mimics the signature of antineutrino interactions in a liquid scintillator.  Experimentally establishing this background is important for the Double Chooz neutrino oscillation experiment in France.

Students would collect data with the detector,  perform performance checks, and analyze data.  Experience would be gained with the high voltage system, fast electronics, liquid handling, and data analysis using object oriented programming tools.  Two students would be ideal for this project, but a third could be incorporated if sufficient interest exists.

Email: lweaver@phys.ksu.edu

Gravity bends light just as a lens made of glass does. This effect is now a standard tool of astrophysics. It has been used to discover planets, measure the Hubble constant, and search for dark matter in our galaxy.

I want to understand gravitational lensing better so this summer I want to calculate the properties of several lensing systems in several ways. The math involved is only elementary geometry and algebra but the computations cannot be done in closed form, a lot of computer assistance is needed. In particular, it will be necessary to find useful way of displaying the results in order to understand them.  The student who takes this project will need to have a lot of pre-existing computer-savvy. I can help a lot with the math and physics, but the student must bring in experience with computers. Depending on the student’s background there may be opportunity to learn a little general relativity, too.