Research

My PhD research covers two distinct areas within particle physics, divided between the study of muon beams and experimental neutrino physics.

MICE

I am foremost involved with the Muon Ionisation Cooling Experiment (MICE) based at Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, an experimental validation of ionisation cooling as a method supporting conceptual muon beam designs. The results of this experiment may prove invaluable in determining the future course of new particle accelerator experiments aiming to probe the high energy frontier further than ever before.

[ Fig : The MICE cooling channel, featuring a central absorber for ionization cooling (blue) and two scintillating fibre trackers upstream and downstream of the absorber, fitted with superconducting solenoids. ]

My ongoing research for the MICE collaboration focuses on a beam-emittance study demonstrating cooling channel performance for various absorber types. Previous work has involved target simulation of pion production at the MICE target, integration of Monte-Carlo (MC) simulation of the MICE luminosity monitor, and general MC beamline refinement. I'm also responsible for work on track reconstruction of particles detected in the scintillating fibre trackers, with prior work on improved modelling and integration of noise with the MICE simulation software, MAUS.

DUNE

[ Fig : Interior view of the ProtoDUNE LAr-TPC detector at CERN. ]

In addition, I am an active member of the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE) collaboration, with involvement in the Near Detector (ND) & Beam research groups. This has involved neutrino beam simulation and study of conceptual additions to the DUNE-PRISM program, constructing ND superpositions of neutrino flux observations to reconstruct expected FD oscillated neutrino spectra. This method aims to de-couple flux and interaction cross-section uncertainties, reducing overall systematic uncertainties on any future measurement of CP-violation made by DUNE, thereby bringing closer the threshold for discovery of new beyond Standard Model physics.

Contact Details

Office:

P450; Ext 50208

Email:

Tom dot Lord at warwick dot ac dot uk