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1. Project Summary
1.1. Project Elements:
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New REU Site
Title: Physics and Mathematics Summer Research Institute at SMU
Principle Investigator: Prof. Robert Kehoe
Co-Principle Investigator: Dr. Randall Scalise
Submitting Organization: Southern Methodist University
Other Organizations Involved: Columbia University, Brookhaven National Laboratory
Locations: Southern Methodist University, Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), Soudan Underground Laboratory
Main Fields: Mathematical and Physical Sciences; Sub-fields: Physics, Math
Number of Undergraduates Supported per Year: 10
Summer REU Site
Number of Weeks per Year: 10
Point-of-contact: Robert Kehoe, kehoe@physics.smu.edu, 214-768-1793
Web Address: http://www.physics.smu.edu/web/research/
1.2. Project Summary
We propose to create an NSF REU site at Southern Methodist University (SMU) to provide research experiences in physics and mathematics to ten students per year for 3 years. A research Institute will be created
structured to encourage development of capable, confident and creative researchers in the sciences.
We will provide undergraduate students with unique research opportunities working with 14 faculty mentors in particle physics, computational math and cosmology. Students will engage in a complete spectrum
of science, from theoretical prediction and detector design, to modeling and data taking, and analysis and
conclusion. Their research will be supported by program elements designed to nurture an interest in scientific
endeavors, and build skills necessary for a career in science research. These include targeted mini-courses,
a weekly lunch and discussion, a local topical field trip, and the students’ presentation at a final symposium. Students will be recruited primarily from two-year and higher institutions in four states of Arkansas,
Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Texas centered on our location. We will identify students among underrepresented
groups for which our program may provide an encouragement to further pursue research.
The combination of topical and regional emphasis is unique among NSF’s funded 2010-2011 REU Sites.
We have substantial experience successfully mentoring SMU undergraduates in research. Our program will
encourage the exchange of ideas and experiences between the students working in the areas of math, theory
and experiment. An institute-like atmosphere will foster creativity, broaden the research experience and
expose students to the interdisciplinary nature of fundamental research.
Intellectual Merit: The faculty mentors in this proposal conribute to solving some of the deepest
problems in science. This includes a search for the origin of particle mass, efforts to connect gravity to
the physics of the subatomic world, identification of the constituents of dark matter, and state of the art
electronics and other hardware to study this physics. We engage in well-recognized collaborations in the field,
including the ATLAS, DØ, and SuperCDMS experiments, and the CTEQ collaboration. In mathematics, we
are engaged in new computational approaches that address a wide range of prominent problems in physics
and biology. These include questions of fusion, ionization in the early universe, simulation of light propagation
in optical fibers, and biological processes. The undergraduates supported by this proposal will be integral
colleagues in these efforts.
Broader Impacts: The chief broader impact will be to facilitate the growth of ten students into researchers. They will be more able to consider a research career and may make further contributions to math,
physics or biology. We also expect a large fraction of these projects to contribute to the research of our
groups, and possibly software or hardware of use to the wider research community. These results have the
possibility to be included in publications or further research.
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2. Project Description
2.1. Overview
Objectives: University education provides a critical time of formation and finalization of career choices for
most students. As a preparation for a professional career, it is now well-recognized that out-of-classroom
research experiences hold many benefits for students. Directly, they provide knowledge and skills needed
in specific scientific fields. More broadly, the research endeavor provides an important exercise of students’
analytical and creative abilities. It also allows the students to explore and develop their interests and strengths
so they can gain a sense of themselves as a researcher or other professional.
This Site proposal aims to provide such a research experience in physics and mathematics to ten undergraduates per year. We will focus on a ten week program encouraging the development of the ”3 C’s” in
our students: Competence, Confidence and Creativity. Competence will be developed through mini-courses
and training exercises within each research opportunity. Confidence will be nurtured via a widening scope
of exercises and problems that steadily increases the extent of a student’s accomplishments. Creativity is
fostered by presenting research questions to the student as they go about this process, encouraging them
to develop their own approaches. In all of this, we allow the abilities and interests of the student to set the
scale of accomplishment in the expectation this will maximize their learning in the time allotted.
More specific goals for this program involve development of several skills that are important for a researcher. In many scientific fields, a knowledge of programming and/or computational techniques are essential. Experience working on electronics is valuable in physics and engineering. We anticipate each student will
learn a specific topic well in physics or mathematics. We have also designed our REU Site to give valuable
instruction and experience in speaking and presentation on a technical subject, as well as in scientific writing.
Students will also learn that science is often a collaborative effort within which they can make meaningful
contributions to the overall goals.
Targeted Students: We will be interested in students at two and four year institutions with an expressed
interest in physics and mathematics. Students from other related fields will also be welcome, and several
faculty mentors have experience with such cross-disciplinary undergraduates. These students are expected to
primarily come from the four-state region (TX, OK, LA, AR) centered on the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex,
although we will pursue contacts with institutions across the U.S. as well. One of the difficulties faced by
our national economy is the lack of sufficient science and engineering graduates. These lost opportunities
are even more evident with respect to minority groups and women. As a result, our Site will make a strong
effort to identify good candidates from within these groups.
Intellectual Focus: We envision our REU Site as a Summer Research Institute (SRI) focusing on
the physics of fundamental interactions and on computational mathematics. We pursue this with a strong
research program combined with pedagogical elements. Students will be immersed not only with the REU
program for the general content of the Institute, but with the individual research groups of their mentors.
The research program will dominate the student activities.
The topics themselves are grouped into four related categories: experimental particle physics, theoretical
particle physics, computational math, and cosmology. Experimental particle physics projects will range
from detector development to data analysis. Professors Robert Kehoe, Stephen Sekula and Jingbo Ye lead
groups at SMU in the proton collider experiments ATLAS at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) and DØ at
the Tevatron, and the Long Baseline Neutrino Experiment (LBNE). Three research faculty (Tiankuan Liu,
Annie Xiang and Datao Gong) join them as faculty mentors for the SRI. Theoretical investigations will focus
on strong interactions and gravitons with Professors Pavel Nadolsky and Roberto Vega, and Drs. Randall
Scalise and Simon Dalley. Nadolsky leads a group working with the Coordinated Theoretical-Experimental
Study of QCD (CTEQ) collaboration. The theoretical program connects well with the experimental program
in top quark and graviton physics.
The emphasis of computational math research will be in modeling and simulation of phenomena in wave
propagation, the early universe and biology. Mathematics Professors Alejandro Aceves, Daniel Reynolds and
Brandilyn Stigler lead groups in these directions. While there are obvious connections to theory research,
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these topics also connect with the experimental program. For instance, wave propagation studies are relevant
to understanding optical fiber elements of DØ and ATLAS. Cosmology projects will include early universe
ionization, dark matter and standard candle variable stars. Professor Jodi Cooley leads a group on the Super
Cryogenic Dark Matter Search (SuperCDMS) experiment. Reynolds and Kehoe lead research in the early
universe and variable stars. These efforts connect with the experimental ones via gravity and dark matter
particles, and with computational ones via modeling techniques.
We will take advantage of the interconnectedness of the topics the students will be working on by emphasizing two broad themes during the SRI. Students will consider the macroscopic world dominated by
gravity and its relation to the microscopic world of quantum mechanics. This integrates the studies of dark
matter and variable stars on the one hand and gravitons and detectable Weakly Interacting Massive Particles
(WIMPs) on the other. Computation ties together several elements of our program, as well. Students will
experience and discuss modeling in physics and biology near the beginning of the scientific method, and
analysis techniques in experimental physics and astrophysics near its end.
Organizational Structure: Responsibilities on the organization of our Site will involve primarily the
PI Kehoe and Co-PI Scalise. The PI will perform budgeting, proposal submission and reporting. Scalise and
Kehoe will share the responsibilities of administering the Site and all its activities. This is described in more
detail below. A total of 14 faculty will act as students’ mentors and contribute to individual project elements,
such as teaching in a mini-course or recruiting.
We expect this proposal to support an REU effort in 2012-2014. Substantial recruiting will take place in
the fall and early winter preceding each summer. Modifications to the structure and pedagogy of the next
summer’s program will be reviewed and decided early each fall. Applications will be reviewed each winter
and acceptances transmitted in time for students to make summer arrangements. SMU has demonstrated a
commitment to funding undergraduate research and for this REU will provide office and computing facilities.
2.2. Nature of Student Activities
2.2.1. Pedagogical Approach:
The presence of a well-trained and representative corps of scientifically minded university graduates is a
major requirement of a healthy modern society. Evidence suggests that in the U.S. we are not succeeding in
filling this need in the numbers required, particularly in underrepresented populations. The reasons for this
shortcoming are manifold, but include items that can be addressed at the college or university level.
At its heart, research relies on the ability to develop new ideas, techniques or practices in a field of
endeavor. It is the new thing we contribute in building the professional world. The key ingredient is creativity, something not teachable in many traditional classroom contexts. A primary goal of an undergraduate
research program must be to inculcate an effective exercise of creativity in students such that they can
either participate capably in a professional context right out of SMU, or they can skillfully transition to the
more extensive world of graduate research. Achievement of an effective creativity rests on a foundation with
two parts: competence and confidence. Both must be present, and, at the beginning of a young researcher’s
career, both are lacking in the research context. Building the knowledge base, skills and patterns of thought
provides competence. Exercising those skills with sufficient chances for success along the way, while also
allowing setbacks and the resulting lessons learned, provides a path to confidence in research. By reaching a
final result of their research program, each student will conclude with a sense of pride and accomplishment,
and the sense that they have made a meaningful contribution to the research efforts of the group. Our SRI
is designed around achieving all three of these goals: competence, confidence and creativity.
Each project, group and faculty mentor will operate differently, but there are general strategies that
will usually be in common. Students’ relevant skills will be engaged starting early in the SRI, first through
instruction and then quickly to activities in the research context. At the close of the initial instruction
period, mentors will help students define focused projects anchored into the overall research of that mentor.
We will ask the students to write a brief description, or discuss at the weekly lunch, this project early in
the SRI. This will assist the student in integrating their understanding, and it marks the beginning of the
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development of the capstone report and presentation. Starting in the second week, initial tasks will be used
to gain confidence in executing technical work, and to develop new thoughts on next steps. This helps place
the student’s work on a technical line of reasoning. The student will attempt more substantial studies as
they become more capable and confident.
Aside from the common activities described above, the rest of the SRI will consist of frequent interaction of
the undergraduate with faculty, postdocs and graduate students. Informal meetings of student and mentor
are very important and will be held frequently during the week and sometimes include lunches to break
down barriers. Students will be integrated into a research group similarly to a graduate student, and they
will develop a sense of the collaborative effort involved in research. These individuals will also provide an
important peer group that will help validate the student’s involvement. Each group will arrange weekly
meetings to allow the student to establish goals and priorities, communicate their progress and receive
feedback. As the SRI progresses, students will be asked to provide occasional updates during the SRI weekly
lunches, perhaps as a brief presentation. To complete the research experience, capstone experiences are key
to intellectually tying the breadth of their work together and communicating it effectively and professionally.
2.2.2. Structural Elements:
The SMU SRI will be conducted with structural elements that reinforce the overall themes in physics and
math described above. The pedagogical philosophy will be one that inculcates the 3 C’s in student researchers.
Before describing the specific student research project activities, we describe these more general activities
below.
For undergraduates to feel capable and make positive contributions to the research effort, they need a
baseline of knowledge and skill. As a result, we will provide several instructional elements to the SRI. This
will include informal, elective mini-courses in math and physics, as well as weekly seminars and a field trip to
a local research institution. We also include a short training in ethics in research. The structure will be such
that the first week, the students will receive a general orientation about the program, the university facilities,
housing and the general Dallas area. They will be introduced to the program directors and mentors and given
emergency contact information, other administrative requirements will also be completed. The ethics training
and basic computing workshop will also be the first week. The particle physics and computation mini-courses
will start the second week. An suggested schedule for the first two weeks is given in Figure 1.
Fig. 1.
Weight distributions with different numbers of pseudorapidity choices: (a) 10 (b) 30 (c) 70 (d) 200
Computers 101 Workshop: A basic facility with computers has become a mainstay of the sciences.
We will provide a brief workshop at the beginning of the SRI dedicated to teaching the students the basics
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of Linux and its shell, basic programming via Python and C++. The workshop will occupy half of each day
for the opening week of the SRI and involve exercises and instruction relevant to physics and math research.
We have already implemented a prototype of this workshop for our SMU summer research students this year
and have obtained valuable feedback to ensure a successful workshop in 2012.
Computational Mini-course: Sophisticated familiarity with computational methods is very useful in
the sciences, whether it be in simulation, numerical analysis or data mining techniques. We will provide a
mini-course starting the second week of the SRI, after the Computers 101 workshop, that will provide to
students daily instruction in using Matlab for numerical programming, benefiting from Reynolds’ experience
teaching undergraduate courses in introductory scientific computing with Matlab. Sample topics may include:
(1)
(2)
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Polynomial interpolation and regression
Numerical differentiation and integration
Explicit methods for ordinary differential equations
Monte Carlo methods
Discrete Fourier transform
Poisson and Bayesian statistics
Each topic will be presented by a faculty mentor participating in the REU program. Given the limited time
available, lectures will aim to cover the basics that are essential for successful accomplishment of the REU
projects rather than on in-depth learning, and will focus on individual and group problem-solving activities.
Particle Mini-course: The purpose of the mini HEP course is to introduce students to the most basic
ideas necessary for the analysis and interpretation of experimental data. This will allow them to appreciate,
and successfully participate in, the group research efforts. A list of topics we plan to cover include,
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What is a Fundamental Particle, what is not, and How to tell the difference.
Introduction to the Standard Model and the major questions in HEP research
Kinematics and their use in Particle Identification
Conservation Laws and the Analysis of Particle Interactions
Basic detector design and operation
Introduction to statistical concepts use in data analysis
The use of Monte Carlo Methods in HEP
This will be team taught by the faculty mentors, with the emphasis on hands-on activities. It will be aimed
at giving students a rough idea of the “big picture” of key physics concepts in particle physics and enabling
them to quickly begin their individual research. It will also accentuate the collaborative nature of research
by showing them the importance of their individual projects in the overall research efforts of the SMU group.
Weekly Seminar: With 14 faculty mentors in the SRI, we have the opportunity to provide a colloquium
style presentation of research in each week. These talks will connect with the research of one or more students
in the SRI, but will constitute a topic central to the faculty member. As such, it will inform beyond both
the mini-courses and their direct research experience. One goal of the SRI is to foster an environment of
discussion of research among the students and between the students and SMU personnel. We believe this
will substantially improve the students’ experience by allowing them to make connections, exercise their own
ability to discuss research topics, and think freely with their peers in informal discussions away from the
’work in the lab’.
Field Trip: Another way in which we will foster the student’s involvement in research is via a field trip to
at least one relevant research institution. There are several technology companies in the Dallas- Fort Worth
area that could serve this role, including Texas Instruments or Honeywell. The Comanche Peak nuclear power
plant near Dallas, TX or the LIGO detector in Livingston, LA would make a very interesting trip.
Ethics Training: Any research career requires a reasonable underpinning of ethical conduct. Some
important questions center around intellectual property, acknowledgement or co-authorship of results, and
proper treatment of data and uncertainties. We will coordinate a concise pair of lectures reviewing these
topics. This will involve advisors from SMU Research Administration, and we will ask students to take the
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standard ethics training test at the end of this segment.
Weekly Lunch and Social Outings: Students benefit strongly when the research environment also
includes collegial and extra-laboratory activities that are shared with other professional staff such as faculty
mentors, postdocs and graduate students. In fact, a study of the impact of research experience as judged by
students pointed to a very high value of an overall benefit that is not confined to learning the mechanics of
learning how to do research [Ref.]. This involved a personal benefit of the experience.
In conducting the SRI, we will focus on creating a nurturing environment for the students, at the same
time as one that places a high premium on learning to stand on one’s own. Regular contact horizontally
across REU students and vertically between all persons associated with the involved projects will allow
students to familiarize with their peers and their more senior colleagues so they can increase their confident
and habitual ability to communicate in the research setting. We will therefore arrange regular weekly lunches
where research news, and non-research news can be shard across members of the SRI. This may be a brownbag
or catered scenario, depending on whether the department will support it. We will also have at least two
social outings arranged for the students, one of which will be held at a professor’s home.
Summer Research Symposium: To cement the SRI experience for students, it is important to aim
for a capstone event where final results can be revealed and a discussion can ensue. This event should tie all
elements of the SRI pedagogy together. We will conduct a final research symposium in which students prepare
20 minute presentations of their work. We will organize the event along the lines of a typical conference in the
sciences. We already have significant experience in the direction of such a symposium. We have developed in
the physics department a curricular element of our mid-level undergraduate classes where students give a 20
minute presentation. We instruct in good presentation practices and conduct a multi-step preparation that
brings students to a final product. The steps include topic choice, outlining, drafting of the presentation,
and a partial practice talk before the final. All steps are reviewed thoroughly. In general, our students like
this project and even those that have presentation experience indicate it has helped them in preparation.
We have also performed a first symposium for our in-house summer researchers last Fall. In October, Kehoe,
Sekula and Cooley organized a small conference with posters and a review panel. SMU’s Dean of Research
and other dignitaries came, as well as various undergraduate and graduate students. It was very successful
and led directly to subsequent presentations given at conferences and SMU’s winter research symposium
that includes graduate students.
Initial Proposal and Final Report: To ensure that they have a clear understanding of their assigned
projects and what they are expected to accomplish, students will be required to turn-in to the program
director a brief description of their projects including what they hope to accomplish. This brief description
should be completed no later than the end of the second week of the internship. This document will serve
as the first step toward a final paper at the end of the SRI. We will ask students for a paper of moderate
length to discuss their research. One aspect of the paper drafting will involve one other student serving as
a referee for one paper. In this way, the students will see the paper writing project from the vantage of the
reader.
2.2.3. Student Research Activities
While the general activities will provide important unifying and developmental services to the students, their
main endeavor will be their research projects. These projects will be in the four categories of experimental particle physics, theoretical particle physics, computational mathematics, and cosmology. Two or more
students will engage in each category. In the following subsections, we describe these research groups and
example projects for the SRI students. We emphasize showing what the students will be doing and how they
will interact with others doing research. We attempt to illustrate how students are treated as colleagues in
research and mentored toward becoming effective researchers. Because individual projects are often difficult
to predict one or more years in advance, we will describe a mix of recently finished projects, projects in
progress and planned projects in an attempt to give a more complete picture of what the experience will
look like to students. Not all currently potential projects are listed or covered uniformly, and projects will
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change in subsequent years.
2.2.4. Experimental Particle Physics:
Undergraduates researching with the experimental particle physics group will have the opportunity to work on
detector development, and a variety of data analysis projects. Studies in top quark physics, search strategies
for Higgs bosons and gravitons, and neutrino physics are all possible. Students will work as an integral part of
research teams on major experiments. Here we describe some previous or proposed undergraduate projects.
More detail on the environment of this research group, and others described in this proposal, is given in
Section 2.3.
Measuring the Top Quark Mass: The top quark is the heaviest of all known fundamental particles
in nature. Its high mass means that, in the standard model, the top quark provides the single most sensitive
indication of the Higgs boson mass. The top quark mass may also signal a unique connection to the origin
of mass and to new laws of physics that take over at the highest energy scales. Kehoe’s research is the
measurement of the top quark mass using events with two final state leptons [41, 42]. To reconstruct the top
quark mass, our group integrates over unmeasured neutrinos to solve otherwise underconstrained events.
Several important questions can be researched by an REU student. A typical process of working with
undergraduates can be gained from an example study performed by SMU student Jason South who modelled
the unmeasured neutrinos in top quark events. Through instruction and simple exercises, he initially became
familiar with the kinematic constraints of top quark events and the role of numerical integration in solving
the relevant constraint equations. He also learned the nature of simulated events and how to analyze them
to extract kinematic information. He performed fits to example distributions, giving some experience in
the statistical issues involved. South was asked to generate a statistically valid model of the neutrino by
fitting the simulated events for many different top quark masses. This was an early, modest creative leap
chosen to have a high probability of success. Next steps involved parametrizing the model as a function
of unknown top quark mass. By this point, he was able to perform this step largely unaided. He created
several models, presented them to the group and proposed one to be included in the default mass analysis.
The other models were the basis of a test of the analysis systematic sensitivity to model. Via presentation
and debate he resolved a statistical concern of the postdoc in our group. The student was doing their own
research and making their own research decisions, proposals and arguments. This student was co-author on
a preprint reviewed and made public by DØ [3], as well as the student giving a poster at a regional APS
conference. An earlier student, now graduated, worked on a related topic and is now employed at Lockheed
Martin. One possible new project involves extending the above effort into a third dimension by exploiting
the correlation of neutrino and lepton from the same W boson decay. Such an approach may improve the
statistical precision of the analysis, and is an appropriate project for a student with modest programming
and/or statistical knowledge.
Because the correct assignment of leptons, neutrinos and jets is unknown, all possible combinations must
be averaged over, resulting in loss of sensitivity. A student could pursue a project considering the use of the
proton structure, which constrains the dynamics of the initial collision, to provide a method of calculating
the probability that certain solutions are correct. If significant differentiation exists, the student can propose
a method of using the constraint to improve precision. If their software skills warrant, they will have the
opportunity to modify the very specific integration code. Such a project could lead to participation in a
publication.
Top Quarks as Probes of New Physics: The LHC is currently the highest-energy particle collider
on earth, and it provides an excellent opportunity to probe top quark production and decay at previously
inaccessible energies. Sekula pursues a search for new physics with ATLAS using tt̄ events decaying to one τ
lepton plus multiple jets and missing transverse energy. By studying such events where the τ lepton can be
identified as a jet-like object via its hadronic decays, he works toward sensitivity to new, heavy particles in
the top quark decay chain not expected in the Standard Model. The study of particles produced in association
with the top quarks will aide in this search.
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The challenges of this analysis involve 1) the difficulty of properly assigning the correct jets to the correct
top quark (based on total electric charge), 2) a significant contribution from background processes containing
large numbers of jets, and 3) the optimal use of available information to identify new particles. A number
of important research projects arise where an engaged, enthusiastic student can make a significant impact.
One example follows that since the electric charge of the quarks produced in LHC collisions is not directly
accessible, we must develop approximate methods to estimate the charge of the underlying quarks. Such “jet
charge” algorithms typically use kinematic and track reconstruction information to perform this estimate.
Such algorithms have been developed by the Tevatron experiments, and our goal would be to try to press
these algorithms harder, or add more information, to improve performance. Students will have opportunities
to explore advanced computational methods, such as the development and use of Genetic Algorithms to
evolve a better jet charge algorithm, or Boosted Decision Trees to try to improve the use and weighting
of input information. A second example involves development of new variables (e.g. through advanced statistical methods) for the separation of signal (e.g. new heavy particles) from background processes, either
in the decay of the top quark or in association with top quark production. This again is an opportunity
to employ advanced statistical and data analysis techniques to the final purpose of discovering previously
unseen physical phenomena.
The student will be responsible for deciding which approaches to the project are most feasible, and again
will be expected to ask questions and learn to seek resources (web, library, colleagues, and collaborators
within the larger experimental collaboration). They will develop the software for their research in Python
and C++, and will learn to implement physics principles in software. They will learn to use, develop, and
deploy advanced computational methods and statistical techniques (neural networks, genetic algorithms,
decision trees, etc.) with the goal of evaluating their performance in advancing their project. These activities
will be reinforced by the mini-course on particle physics by applying the principles of those courses to the
analysis and exploration of real data from the ATLAS experiment.
Search for Randall-Sundrum Gravitons: Recent theoretical results [46] postulate that there might
be extra dimensions involved in the unification of fundamental interactions, and predict a spin 2 resonant
graviton. This Randall-Sundrum graviton can decay substantially to two photons, which distinguishes it from
other hypothesized high mass resonances which decay to lepton pairs. Kehoe’s team has been researching
search methods for this particle and there are several opportunities for REU students to get involved. For
space reasons, we refer to the previous for examples of students in particle physics research. Example topics
include the measurement of photon at high pT , or a study of kinematic shapes of diphoton backgrounds that
will assist in background modeling.
Development of Opto-electronics for High Energy Physics Experiments: In the optoelectronics
lab we are pursuing three research directions: radiation tolerant optical link system and ASIC development
for ultra-high data transmission rate. This is needed in many future experiments, particularly in the ATLAS
Liquid Argon Calorimeter readout system upgrade for the High Luminosity LHC. The third direction is data
links in a deep cryogenic environment, like the one needed in the LBNE/LArTPC.
In these R&D efforts we always have well defined projects for undergraduate students to get hand-on
experience in instrumentation and hardware, and to contribute to research. Recently two SMU undergraduate
students have accomplished two projects in the lab, published or presented the results at NCUR2011. The
first project was to calibrate a pico-ammeter using an innovative way that involves the Ohm’s Law of
resistance and careful data analyses. The student, guided by Professor Liu, understood the idea, learned the
LabView language and adapted a program to control the measurement. He constructed the calibration setup
and performed the measurements. We guided him all the way through publication. The student is now a
graduate student at UT Austin majoring in Nuclear Engineering with a full scholarship support.
The second project is an irradiation measurement on optical fibers at -25 C temperature, a collaboration
we have with Oxford UK. The student started with test setup design and construction (a multi-channel optical
power meter) mentored by Prof. Liu. The student then participated in the irradiation test at the Brookhaven
National Lab, took shifts, analyzed the data. Again we guided the student from the very beginning all the
way through conference submission, presentation, and allocated resources for attending the conference. The
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student presented his work at NCUR2011. Projects like these are numerous in the lab. We have the capacity
to guide four REU students through a summer. We can provide training in instrumentation and the related
software (mainly LabVIEW). For ambitious students we also have the capability to train them in hardware
designs involving modern FPGA coding, and even circuit designs if that is the interest of the students.
With this lab we can train students with hands-on projects, expose them to state-of-the-art equipment and
software, so that the students can move on to higher level of research projects, either in universities, or in
national labs.
2.2.5. Theoretical Particle Physics
Theoretically inclined students can engage in research with one of our faculty working on proton structure,
graviton modeling, Higgs phenomenology or QCD calculations. Potential projects are described below.
Undergraduate theory associates. With modern automated tools for data analysis, some tasks of
particle theory become simple enough to be performed by advanced undergraduate students. Some tasks
have a multi-disciplinary component and can attract non-physics (math, computer science) majors. Our
program especially hopes to attract mathematically inclined students who are looking for opportunities to
be introduced to modern theoretical and computational methods.
The LHC is publishing a wealth of experimental data about physics processes at the smallest distances
ever explored. Theorists are now in an unprecedented situation when the surge of interesting collider data
about fundamental natural laws outpaces our ability to analyze it. Many interesting measurements can be
compared to already existing theoretical computations, but the danger is that they may be neglected because
of the rapid pace of LHC analyses.
With this in mind, we wish to involve the REU students in the analysis of LHC processes, focusing
on simpler comparisons of theoretical predictions with various LHC data. Most students will not initially
possess all needed analytical skills. The difficulty of their tasks will be ramped up very gradually, beginning
with a one-week introductory course about interpretation of collider detector signals described in Sec. 2.2.2,
and following up with more specialized hands-on exercises and an individualized final project.
In the introductory course taught upon their arrival, students will be presented with examples of typical
events registered in the detector and taught simple techniques for their analysis. They will then proceed
to writing simple programs for the analysis of select LHC processes, and they will use existing automated
tools (MadGraph, CompHep, MCFM, etc.) to obtain theoretical predictions. They will then apply these
calculations to address a specific physics question (which will be the subject of their report), for example,
to discuss if the data agree with the theoretical prediction, and what potential consequences their findings
might have.
One particular research topic involves the study of the structure of the proton. Under the mentorship
of Nadolsky students will have the opportunity to apply the knowledge gained in mini-courses to study the
parton distribution functions (PDFs) of quarks and gluons in the proton. Their work will not involve expertlevel calculations. Rather, automated programs will take care of tedious details. Students will be introduced to
the basics of modern particle theory, but also to other experiences relevant for numerous areas of science and
technology (Python/C++/Unix/WWW programming, statistical analysis of data, Monte-Carlo simulations,
etc.). While all students will begin by taking introductory courses, the contents and difficulty of their final
tasks will be diversified depending on their preferences and abilities. Based on our past experience with
summer students, we anticipate that the strongest ones will be able to accomplish quite challenging studies.
Below, we list two examples of recent studies that were completed by advanced undergraduate students
under the guidance of SMU faculty.
Monte-Carlo methods for statistical analysis. In summer 2010, Nadolsky completed a research
study with a senior student Bridget Bertoni from the University of Pittsburgh that can serve as a model for
related REU activities. Nadolsky developed a new method for the statistical analysis of collider data based on
stochastic sampling of theoretical parameters. This method will lead to better understanding of the structure
of the nucleon [25, 26]. More generally, Monte-Carlo methods are now ubiquitously applied in science and
10August
22, 2011 11:44
technology to study probability distributions that are dependent on many parameters. Participation in these
studies introduces students both to basic particle theory and promising directions in modern statistical
applications.
Bertoni designed several algorithms and computer programs for the stochastic sampling approach. She
determined which Monte-Carlo algorithms available in a multi-dimensional integration library CUBA [27] are
2
most suitable for the integration of the probability function e−χ /2 dependent on 20-40 free PDF parameters.
She also designed an algorithm for finding a boundary of the region of the allowed PDF parameters (at a
given confidence level) from a sample of discrete data points provided by Monte-Carlo integration.
Bertoni documented her results in two SMU preprints [30, 31]. They will be implemented in the CTEQ
fitting program, and she also plans to publish them in an undergraduate research journal. This research
experience provided Bertoni with first-hand experience on current research in particle physics and a range
of topics in statistics, machine pattern recognition, and programming in Fortran, C, and Mathematica.
Her contributions to these self-contained studies will help to (a) advance understanding of the structure
of nucleons in a broad range of processes; and (b) provide theoretical calculations that meet the accuracy
of key collider measurements. They will be used to better understand theoretical uncertainties in CTEQ
parton distribution functions, which will be essential for calibration of LHC detectors, “standard candle”
measurements, and searches for new physics phenomena.
Production of extra dimensional gravitons. Standard Model production of photon pairs has been
studied theoretically at hadron colliders by Nadolsky et al. by developing the program RESBOS [34–37] that
computes the fully differential cross section for production of photon pairs and similar processes, typically in
NLO QCD and at NLL resummation of initial state radiation. Dalley and Nadolsky are adding to RESBOS
the effect of an intermediate massive spin 2 particle B (a “graviton” from higher dimensions), coupling to the
energy momentum tensor, produced via the Drell-Yan process in pp → (B → γγ) X. This will help provide
a model-independent spin determination of any new boson discovered at the LHC. During the summer of
2010, Cotty Kerridge, a recent high school graduate, collaborated with Dalley in the initial developement of
this project. He derived identities for the angular decomposition of the pp → (B → γγ) X cross-section.
A future REU participant may complete a simple, guided, graviton cross-section calculation, write a
Fortran subroutine of the kind used in RESBOS, and produce a variety of graphical output from raw data
using standard library packages. Depending on progress the results can then be incorporated into RESBOS
to study angular variation of diphotons at the LHC, or study the transverse momentum dependence of the
cross-section. The student will acquire skills in generating data and presenting it in suitable form for analysis.
They will learn how new particles are identified in practice and how to assess confidence level. Kehoe and
his students have studied diphoton production for ATLAS, and there will be some collaboration between the
two groups.
2.2.6. Computational Applied Mathematics
Computational applied math projects will involve the development of techniques to model the early universe,
fusion and optical wave propagation. Students will have a unique and exciting opportunity of working closely
with faculty members and graduate students in Applied Mathematics on physics based research, including
areas covered in this REU. Specific projects include the following.
Early Universe Ionization: REU students will explore the use of different functional approximation
spaces for accurately interpolating the frequency spectrum of ionizing radiation in the early universe. Here,
the accuracy with which we can capture the spatial transport and interaction of radiation emanating from
early stars with the primordial gases prevalent soon after the Big Bang is critical. We have developed highly
robust, efficient and optimally scalable solvers for radiation transport and primordial chemical ionization;
however, these solvers utilize a very simple approximation of a smooth background radiation frequency
spectrum [54–58]. In actuality, this spectrum is only piecewise continuous, with jumps at the ionization
thresholds of chemical elements, and that spectrum varies dramatically over space and time. Historically,
simulation codes have approximated this inhomogeneity through using a piecewise constant binning of the
August 22, 2011 11:44
11
spectrum in frequency space which requires a large number of bins. In other words, while simple to implement,
such approaches are highly non-optimal, since each interpolation point in frequency space requires a separate
transport solve over the full spatial domain.
The participants in this REU project will investigate alternate interpolation spaces for the radiation
spectrum, with the goals of (a) using as few interpolation points in frequency space as possible, and (b)
achieving a highly accurate approximation of the radiation spectrum, as measured by photo-ionization and
photo-heating rates that are computed using frequency-space integrals of the radiation. We already have a
number of candidate approximation spaces in mind, and students will consider alternate spaces of their own
choosing as well. Each investigation will require the students to learn a small amount of numerical analysis –
polynomial interpolation and numerical integration, as well as a moderate amount of programming expertise
in Matlab, a common tool for scientific simulation in science and engineering.
The students’ activities in this REU project will change during the course of the summer. While they
receive basic numerical programming instruction in the mini-course, students will begin reading about the
relevant physics of radiation propagation and radiation-matter interaction [8], as well as the relevant numerical analysis of polynomial interpolation and numerical integration [9]. After this brief introduction to the
tools and relevant science ideas, the students will be provided a sample Matlab code that performs a basic
piecewise constant interpolation, which they will begin to modify for their research experience. Throughout
this process, the students will work closely with Reynolds, and will have a desk and workstation co-located
in a shared office with Reynolds’ group of graduate students. Students will be required to meet a few key
milestones throughout the summer project: two short presentations on the status of their work to other REU
students, as well as a final written technical report detailing their findings.
Pulse propagation in fiber optics The most effective way of streaming and communicating large
amounts of data is through the transmission of optical signals in fibers. This is indeed the case of the optical
link system developed by Ye and utilized for data streaming in the ATLAS project, or the fiber tracker
detector of DØ. Specific to the problem of data transmission, it is important to understand and exploit the
different types of bit forms as well as the dynamics of information bits in the form of optical pulses as they
propagate in a fiber. As part of this REU, a student will work under the supervision of Aceves in the modeling
of light propagation in optical fibers. Research will start with the derivation of the equation(s) describing light
propagation in an optical fiber followed by producing a Matlab code for simulations. To accomplish these
tasks, first on the derivation, the student will do some reading [10] and one on one regular discussions with
Aceves. In parallel, she/he will join other students in doing some Matlab training (see previous discussion).
It is expected that the student will then be given a basic code that she/he will modify to answer questions
they will have a hand in choosing. From the simulations, the student will plot and interpret relevant data
and give a briefing to Aceves for assessment and followp up tasks.
With different degrees of sophistication, topics to be addressed include: Propagation of different pulse
formats, analysis of how different physical effects (dispersion, losses, noise), filtering modify the pulse shape,
and nonlinear effects including optical soliton dynamics. Throughout this research period the student will
keep a notebook of all activities.
2.2.7. Cosmology and Astrophysics:
For students who choose to pursue research in cosmology, possible projects will address ionization in the
early universe, search for dark matter particles, and studies of rapidly varying variable stars. The first is
described in Section 2.2.6, while example projects of the latter follow here.
Direct Search for Dark Matter: One strong candidate for the constituents of dark matter is a WIMP,
which should have a small interaction cross-section with atomic nuclei. Efforts are underway across the world
to construct and operate sensitive experiments, deep underground, that might be the first to directly observe
a dark matter particle scattering off of an atomic nucleus. Cooley led the analysis of the final data sample
for the CDMS II collaboration. This result not only set an unprecedented sensitivity in searching for WIMPs
with masses above 44 GeV/c2 , but also constrained the parameter space of several favored supersymmetric
12August
22, 2011 11:44
models. It also placed the stringent limit of < 3.8 × 10−44 cm2 on the WIMP-nucleon cross section for a
WIMP with mass 70 GeV/c2 .
A critical component to the success of the next phase SuperCDMS experiment is to maintain a background
environment of less than one event. The SMU SuperCDMS group will take a lead role in improving analysis
techniques used to discriminate electromagnetic background from dark matter signals using a new germanium
detector technology that will be deployed both at the Soudan Laboratory, and at the SNOLAB Laboratory
in Sudbury, Canada. We also plan to lead an effort to build an active neutron veto for the SuperCDMS
SNOLAB experiment to identify an otherwise irreducible internal neutron background from α-n and fission
interactions in materials immediately surrounding the SuperCDMS detectors.
Undergraduate research is currently a component of the SMU SuperCDMS program. One student, Hayden Craig, has already contributed to the study of “detector histories” - the record of detector handling
and location - to better understand the exposure to radon and thus the expected intrinsic radioactive background. In addition to this project, there are other opportunities in the SMU SuperCDMS effort ideal for
undergraduate involvement: comparison of intrinsic background predictions to measured in situ background
rates from the existing SuperCDMS detector, as a test of the reliability of detector history-based predictions;
use of the intrinsic background expectations to optimize the layout of the expanded SuperCDMS detector;
and data analysis contributions to other background-related studies.
Variable Stars Search: The study of variable stars, particularly regularly pulsating variable stars,
was critical to the discovery and study of the expansion of the universe. The ROTSE telescopes were built
to study the most sudden of cataclysmic variable stars, the gamma-ray bursts, but have also contributed
substantially to the identification and classification of a broad range of variables over the last decade. SMU
students have worked with Kehoe’s guidance to develop approaches to analyzing a specific subset of archival
ROTSE data [Ref] uniquely sensitive to very short time-scale variation. One of the important contributions
of projects like this is to ensure a complete coverage of variable stars in a spatial or luminosity range.
There are many opportunities for interesting research for undergraduates using the ROTSE data. For
instance, a student lacking programming experience pursued an analysis of lightcurves using existing software that produced basic statistical assessments of the lightcurve, such as the moments of the magnitude
distribution of a lightcurve. Kehoe worked with her to learn the basic statistical principles involved, and
to learn the distinguishing characteristics of the non-variable instrumental backgrounds. She was able to
identify a clear set of criteria to optimize the efficiency to identify rapidly pulsating and eclipsing systems
and minimize background. Fortuitously, her result was somewhat unexpected, giving her the opportunity to
successfully demonstrate and argue in its favor.
Once the variable candidates have been selected, a method of classification had to be devised. This would
normally include an extraction of the variable period and amplitude, and the objects magnitude in more
than one visible light bands. The ROTSE1 data, however, utilize a single, very wide visible light band with
poor correlation to standard bands. In addition, the observations are contiguous thru a night, but do not
always give complete coverage of a full period. Another student attempted to solve these problems by using
the extensive lightcurve information available to quantify the shape of the lightcurve. She developed a set
of five parameters, measured from the lightcurve, to give the shape. Her work was staged such that she
repeated, in new data, the analysis developed earlier to gain understanding and confidence in the analysis
issues needed. Her method has been used by subsequent students.
Currently, a computer science major is working with the data to apply data mining techniques to improve
the selection and classification schemes. This student has learned the analysis procedures of earlier students
and is pursuing an independent study of his own design. In it, he anticipates to code existing parameters as
well as new ones to quantify the lightcurve. A two-step process is envisioned by which multivariate methods
are devised first for selection beyond the preselection developed above, and then for classification. To develop
competence in the material, the student must learn about the instrumentation to accomodate instrumental
effects. He must learn a new programming language (IDL) to encode the variables of interest.
The following projects are clearly on the horizon. The lightcurves of pulsating stars are complex, often
with several different oscillation modes. A Fourier analysis of the stars lightcurve is a logical step to take.
August 22, 2011 11:44
13
In addition, it is possible using the lightcurve parameters to extract information about relative brightness
of stars in contact systems, angle of orbit, and the relative size of the two stars. Also, the methodology for
the multivariate discrimination may be established soon, but the optimal choice of variables, particularly for
classification, will take time.
2.2.8. Broader Impacts:
The primary broader impacts from this proposal will be the knowledge and skill set imparted to students
that will enhance their ability and probability to pursue a science career. These range from experience with
analysis techniques, to familiarity with powerful computing software (e.g. MatLab, Mathematic, IDL) and
hardware. The ability to program and work with world-class electronics will serve students well in a very wide
array of industry settings in science and engineering, or will benefit them in graduate schol. Students will
also acquire abilities to work in collaborations and communicate effectively in a scientific setting. Not least
of the broader impacts is expected to be the inspiration we hope will come to students from working on some
of the most interesting topics in modern science, which we hope will also propel them to a research career.
The program will also potentially result in development of new techniques and tools for physics analysis,
and can make improvements to software tools used by subsequent researchers (e.g. RESBOS).
2.3. Research Environment
The environment in which the REU students will be conducting research is founded on a broad, diverse array
of faculty mentors with substantial experience in mentoring undergraduates in research. We describe here
the research groups involved in this proposal, and the involvement of SMU undergraduates to date. We will
then describe special experience of the faculty that will be very useful when constructing the SRI.
Experimental Particle Physics: The experimental particle physics group includes Kehoe, Ye, Sekula,
Liu, Gong and Xiang. Kehoe leads a group on DØ consisting of one postdoc, two graduate students and
an undergraduate that has focused on providing the most precise measurement of the top quark mass
in events having two leptons [1, 2]. On ATLAS, he works with a postdoc and one graduate student to
develop search strategies for hypothesized Randall-Sundrum gravitons decaying to two photons [6, 7]. Stateof-the-art technology in the Physics Department’s optoelectronics laboratory provides a valuable window
for undergraduates on research practices, and the technology surrounding radiation tolerant circuits. The
laboratory, led by Ye, has three research professors (Liu, Gong, Xiang), one research associate and one visiting
research scholar. It produces electronics for the ATLAS calorimeter readout as well as record-breaking devices
for new applications [4, 5], including LBNE. Students will have an opportunity to work with a skilled and
experienced team on these devices. Sekula leads a group on the ATLAS Experiment consisting of a postdoctoral researcher, a graduate student, and an undergraduate student. His current contributions to ATLAS
are to the study of trigger rates as a function of increasing collider luminosity and the search for new heavy
particles produced from, or in coincidence with, top quarks.
The PI Kehoe has worked with 10 undergraduates in particle physics and astrophysics research projects
since 2006. Five of these students did not major in physics: 1 of math, chemistry and biology each, and 2 in
engineering, giving some experience with working with students with very different interests and approaches
to research. Four of the students were women. Two have won Hamilton Scholar’s awards. This research
contributed to two papers [Refs] and a senior thesis. The students have presented results within SMU
research groups, at three public SMU research fairs, and at a professional-level physics conference. At least
two of the women have gone on to graduate school in the field of their major, and one student obtained a
job in industry at Lockheed Martin.
Theoretical Particle Physics: The theorists involved in this proposal are Professors Nadolsky and
Vega, and Senior Lecturers Scalise and Dalley. They are joined by two postdocs and 3 graduate students.
Nadolsky leads a research group dedicated to the theory of strong interactions of elementary particles in
collider experiments. He is a member of CTEQ, a nationwide effort to understand properties of strong
interactions. Nadolsky’s group provides predictions for specific collider processes and participates in the
14August
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determination of widely used CTEQ parton distribution functions (PDFs) [13–18, 20? –22]. His articles
dedicated to these PDFs, notably CTEQ6 [13] and CTEQ6.6 [14], consistently receive highest numbers of
citations in world publications in particle phenomenology collected in the Stanford SPIRES database [23].
Vega has published a number of well-known papers on theory of neutrinos, Higgs bosons and supersymmetry,
and is currently exploring Higgs phenomenology. Scalise has expertise in QCD factorization methods. Dalley
has extensive research experience and remains active in light-front QCD and transverse lattice gauge theory.
By participating in the REU program, Dalley, Scalise, and Vega will contribute to the latest research in
particle theory during summer months, when they are not as occupied by teaching and activities related to
QuarkNet, Science Fair, and outreach which take most of their time during fall and spring semesters. The
theory faculty have mentored several undergraduates in research topics ranging from calculations relevant
to strong interactions to chaos simulation.
Computational Applied Math: The computational Applied Mathematics group includes faculty members Daniel Reynolds, Alejandro Aceves and Brandilyn Stigler. The group of Reynolds is currently comprised
of one faculty member and two graduate students. Our research focuses on the mathematical modeling and
numerical solution of coupled systems of partial differential equations that arise in the study of complex
multi-physics systems. The project led by Aceves in conjunction with one graduate student deals with computational modeling in optical communications systems. Aceves has mentored undergraduates in applied
mathematics. Two have gone on as Ph.D. students at the University of Arizona and Yale University, respectively.
Cosmology: Research in cosmology is pursued at SMU by Cooley, Reynolds and Kehoe. Cooley leads an
effort to search for dark matter constituents using direct-detection techniques in the SuperCDMS experiment.
While Analysis Coordinator for the final data from the preceding CDMS II phase, two candidate dark matter
events were observed consistent with background expectations. She is joined by one postdoc, two graduate
students and one undergraduate student. Reynold’s research includes studies into early universe ionization, as
described in Section 2.2.6. Kehoe coordinates a program with one graduate student several undergraduates
to search for and classify rapidly pulsating variable stars, one element of the cosmological distance ladder.
Experience and Training of the PI and Co-PI: The PI Kehoe serves as Director of Undergraduate
Research in the Physics department. This includes coordination of student’s access to research opportunities, annual application to a local donor’s grant to Physics for a portion toward undergraduate research, and
web-page and other marketing elements. He serves the last year also as Director of SMU’s university-wide Undergraduate Research Assistantships (URA) program, which in 2010-2011 has supported 120 undergraduates,
a 30% increase from the previous year. In this role, he has attended the AACU conference on Undergraduate
Research in Nov. 2010. In addition, Kehoe has been a member of SMU’s committee drafting our Quality
Enhancement Plan (QEP) in engaged learning (Unbridled Learning). A major element of this plan is a major
expansion of undergraduate research at SMU. Kehoe contributed strongly to the relevant elements of the
report. He is currently a member of the search committee for SMU’s Engaged Learning Director, as well as
chair of the transition subcommittee for communications of Engaged Learning. Perhaps not least among his
training, Kehoe was an REU student in particle physics himself and it was that experience that
Scalise is Co-PI for the SMU Quarknet Project, and has several responsibilities in connecting teachers
with university researchers. He has substantial experience in the pedagogical aspects of introducing research
in this context. He has coordinated many aspects including recruiting and field trips. He also co-directs the
Dallas Regional Science & Engineering Fair, one of the largest student fairs in the nation, comprised of 900
students from 20 Dallas-area cities. Scalise serves as faculty advisor to SMU’s Society of Physics Students
chapter.
Additional Relevant Experience: We are fortunate that one of our volunteer mentors, Vega, has prior
experience with an REU-like program at SLAC. He was the Program Director of the DOE Science Undergraduate Laboratory Internship (SULI) program at SLAC during the summers of 2001 to 2004. Part of his
duties included planning the lecture series and recruitment of lecturers, lecturer, coordinating with research
mentors and students, planning, coordinating and supervising field trips, and advising and supervision of
the summer interns.
August 22, 2011 11:44
15
Dalley has substantial roles coordinating outreach and other programs such that he will have an impact
on the general aspects put into this proposal.
2.4. Student Recruitment and Selection
Recruitment: Recruiting students for the SRI will have several elements. Because we are a new Site, we
will need to increase contacts with local two year and four year institutions promptly. We already know some
of our colleagues at these institutions. Our goal will be, however, to recruit from all such institutions in the
region centered on the DFW metroplex. Several materials will be necessary. We will generate posters and
application pads for each mailing, as well as a brochure. We will develop a new REU web-site to host the
activities, nature and procedures of the REU Site. We expect to conduct recruitment trips to local and other
institutions, and have already spoken with a handful of colleagues who would be interested in encouraging
their students to apply to an SMU SRI.
Because part of the motivation of the SMU SRI is to improve the inadequate number of young people
going into science and mathematics careers, our focus must include the large number of underrepresented
minorities in our locale. Our regional focus will aide us in this, particularly if we take as a goal to aim for a
student breakdown roughly in line with the population breakdown in the metroplex community as a whole.
We can achieve this in part by visiting colleges that are demographically more diverse. For instance, Prof.
Aceves in 2010 established a recruitment connection with the mathematics department of the U. of Texas,
Pan American. This university has one of the highest percentages of Hispanic students. Aceves also plans
to attend the annual SACNAS conference where he would advertise the REU Site and recruit on a national
basis. We can also visit institutions that are dedicated to women.
Selection: Our selection procedure will start in the Fall with sending out posters with application
pads. We will post a full application template on the REU Site web-site with a deadline in late Fall. As
applications come in, we will review them promptly to a long list of viable candidates. Faculty mentors will
have an opportunity to review this long list and contribute to identifying the best candiates for the program.
Colleagues inform us that some communication with the students during this process may be necessary, as
they do not always have sufficient information to make accurate choices of exactly what they are interested
in working on. We expect to complete the process to acceptance of the final set of students by late winter.
While we will have a good idea of what students will be working with which mentors, we anticipate leaving
some flexibility for when the students actually arrive in case a small number of changes are in order.
2.5. Project Evaluation and Reporting
Monitoring the SRI will require several evaluation and reporting elements. In the core emphases of the
Institute (computation, particle physics and cosmology) we will define a set of learning objectives. This is
common practice in SMU courses and provides one way to objectively define the goal. An example learning
objective in particle physics might be that a student demonstrate knowledge of what properties does a quark
have, or how to perform a statistical test of data. We will apply our common practice of testing the students
at the beginning and end of summer for the same specific objectives.
During the semester, the PI will periodically seek feedback from the faculty mentors on the progress of
the students. In tandem with the weekly lunches and other more social elements of the Institute, this will
be the source of somewhat informal evaluation of the program, and it will provide a means to evaluate in
situ the experience and potentially assist in case of difficulty.
The final presentations and reports given by the students at the end of the summer will provide an
important gauge of their success and the quality of their experience. The reports will be evaluated by the
respective faculty mentors. The presentations will be judged similarly to our departmental research fair last
October. The evaluations from the faculty mentors of these two components will be gathered and summarized
in our report back to NSF.
To ensure a quality experience and to improve it, we will institute two surveys at the end of the Institute.
A student survey will focus on three categories of concern. We would like to know from them how the
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execution of the SRI went, including the more social aspects that contribute to a sense of inclusion and
collegiality. We will ask them how the SRI impacted their views of going into a research career, and whether
it helped see how to do this. We will also ask them about the intellectual merit and interest of the material
in the SRI.
Surveying the faculty mentors will also focus on two themes. We want to know how they view the
implementation of the Institute. They should provide feedback specifically that will assist in recruitment
and in orientation of subsequent years. They are best in a position to evaluate the intellectual merit and
performance of their student researcher.
The understand the full impact of the SRI on students, we will attempt to remain in contact with them
through and after graduation. A survey at graduation, and perhaps one year later will allow us to ask where
these students went and how successful they are being in research, if that is their chosen area.
From this collective information, we should be well able to identify improvements to be made in subsequent
iterations of the Institute. A final report will be transmitted to NSF each year summarizing our findings.
2.6. Results from Prior NSF Support
Nadolsky was awarded the NSF LHC Theory Initiative Travel and Computing Fellowship in 2008 under grant
PHY-0705862. This fellowship supported Nadolsky’s research on Refs. [14, 19–22], purchase of books and
computer equipment, as well as travel to collaborative meetings at Michigan State University and the Aspen
Center for Physics, and presentation of his group’s results at DIS International Workshops in 2008-2010,
2008 KITP workshop, 2008 HERA-LHC Workshop at CERN, Milan 2009 W boson physics workshop, 2009
Spin Physics Workshop at LBNL, and 2009 LHC Theory Initiative meeting at Fermilab.
Since 2008, Reynolds has received NSF support under the grants AST-0808184 (co-PI, with M. Norman
at UCSD), OCI-0832662 (supporting, with B. O’Shea at MSU), and AST-1109008 (co-PI; with M. Norman).
This collaboration between Reynolds at SMU, M. Norman at UC San Diego, B. O’Shea at Michigan State, and
others, has focused on development of new physical modules, advanced numerical solvers, and improvements
for large-scale parallelism within the Enzo community cosmology code [58, 60–62, 64–67].
In addition to these funds, the Physics Department has an active Quarknet program for high-school
science teachers which is supported by NSF (˜$20K/year).
17
August 22, 2011 11:44
3. Biographical Sketches
Robert L. Kehoe
Associate Professor
Department of Physics
Southern Methodist University
Dallas, TX 75275, USA
Phone: (214) 768-1793
Fax: (214) 768-4095
E-mail: kehoe@physics.smu.edu
Web page: http://www.physics.smu.edu/kehoe
Education and training
Michigan State University
University of Michigan
University of Notre Dame
Earlham College
High energy physics
Astrophysics
High energy physics
Physics
Postdoc
Postdoc
Ph. D.
B. A.
2001-2004
1997-2001
1989-1996
1985-1989
Appointments
Southern
Southern
Southern
Southern
Methodist
Methodist
Methodist
Methodist
University
University
University
University
ATLAS Experiment
ATLAS Experiment
DØ Experiment
DØ Experiment
DØ Experiment
Washtenaw Comm. College
GLCA at Oak Ridge (ORNL)
NSF REU
Associate Professor in experimental physics
Chair, QEP Communications subcommittee
member, Quality Enhancement Plan committee
Chair, SMU Undergraduate Research
Assistantships (URA) steering committee
Chair, Hadronic Calibration Review Panel
Convenor, LAr Calorimeter Monitoring and
Data Quality
co-Chair, Lifetime and CP phase in the Bs
system editorial board
Convenor, Top Quark Pair Production
Convenor, Jet Energy Scale
Adjunct Faculty
Research Assistant
Research Assistant
2004-present
2011
2010-present
2010-present
2009
2005-2008
2006-present
2002-2004
2001-2002
2000
1988
1988
Publications
(1) Measurement of the Top Quark Mass in Final States with Two Leptons, V. Abazov et al. (D0 Collab.)
Phys. Rev. D80, 092006 (2009).
(2) Expected Performance of the ATLAS Experiment - Detector, Trigger and Physics. ATLAS Collaboration
(G. Aad et al.), CERN-OPEN-2008-020, arXiv:0901.0512 (2009).
(3) Review of Top Quark Physics Results, R. Kehoe, M. Narain, and A. Kumar, Int. Journ. Of Mod. Physics
A Vol. 23, Nos. 3&4, 353-470 (2008).
(4) Measurement of the top quark mass in the dilepton channel, V. Abazov, et al. (D0 Collab.), Phys. Lett.
B. 655, 7 (2007).
√
(5) Measurement of the ttbar production cross section in ppbar collisions at s = 1.96 TeV in dilepton final
states, V. Abazov, et al., Phys. Lett. B 626 :55 (2005).
(6) An Untriggered Search for Optical Bursts, R. Kehoe, et al., Astrophys. Journ. 5 77:845 (2002)
(7) A Search for Early Optical Emission from Short and Long Duration Gamma-ray Bursts, R. Kehoe, et
al., Astrophys. Journ. Lett. 554:159 (2001)
(8) Observation of Contemporaneous Optical Radiation from a Gamma-Ray Burst, C. Akerlof, et al., Nature.
398:400 (1999).
(9) Determination of the Absolute Jet Energy Scale in the DØ Calorimeters , B. Abbott, et al., Nucl. Instr.
and Meth. A424:352 (1999).
18August
22, 2011 11:44
(10) Observation of the Top Quark, S. Abachi, et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 74:263 2 (1995).
Synergistic Activities
• Member of D0 Experiment, Fermilab Tevatron (www-d0.fnal.gov)
• Member of ATLAS Experiment, CERN LHC (http://atlas.web.cern.ch)
• Coordinator,
SMU
Undergraduate
Research
Assistantships
(http://www.smu.edu/ugradresearch/ura.asp)
• member, SMU QEP Committee (http://www.smu.edu/unbridledlearning)
program
(URA)
Past and present collaborators
DØ Collaboration (http://www-d0.fnal.gov/author/authorlist/run2)
ATLAS Collaboration (http://atlas.web.cern.ch/Atlas/Management/Institutions.html), either including:
Kevin Black (Harvard)
Meenakshi Narain (Brown)
Tancredi Carli (CERN)
Jimmy Proudfoot (Argonne)
Haleh Hadavand (SMU)
Helenka Przysiezniak (Toronto)
Ulrich Heintz (Brown)
Peter Renkel (SMU)
Arnulf Quadt (Goettingen)
Sami Kama (SMU)
Christian Schwanenberger (Manchester)
Serguei Kolos (UC, Riverside)
Ryszard Stroynowski (SMU)
Ashish Kumar (SUNY, Buffalo)
Sau Lan Wu (Wisonsin)
Hong Ma (BNL)
Jaehoon Yu (UT, Arlington)
Sven Menke (Max-Planck, Munich)
Jingbo Ye (SMU)
Graduate and postdoctoral advisors
Professor Hendrik Weerts
Professor Carl Akerlof
Professor Randall Ruchti
Michigan State University
University of Michigan
University of Notre Dame
Graduate students
Huanzhao Liu
Farley Ferrante
Yuriy Ilchenko
Kamile Dindar-Yagci
Azzedine Kasmi
Pavel Zarzhitsky
Ashish Kumar
Joseph Kozminski
Southern Methodist University
Southern Methodist University
Southern Methodist University
Southern Methodist University
Southern Methodist University
Southern Methodist University
University of Delhi
Michigan State University
Ph. D. student
M. S. student
Ph. D. student
Ph. D. student
Ph. D. student
Ph. D. student
Ph. D. student
Ph. D. student
present
present
present
present
2009
2008
2006
2005
19
August 22, 2011 11:44
Randall J. Scalise
Senior Lecturer
Department of Physics
Southern Methodist University
Dallas, TX 75275, USA
Phone: (214) 768-2504
Fax: (214) 768-4095
E-mail: scalise@smu.edu
Web page: http://www.physics.smu.edu/scalise
Education and training
The Pennsylvania State University
Cornell University
Theoretical particle
physics
Physics
Ph. D.
1987-1994
B. A. magna cum
laude
1983-1987
Appointments
Southern Methodist University
Southern Methodist University
Southern Methodist University
The Pennsylvania State University
The Pennsylvania State University
The Pennsylvania State University
Senior Lecturer
Lecturer
Visiting Assistant Professor
Lecturer
Postdoctoral Research Assistant
Graduate Research Assistant
2001-present
1999-2001
1995-1999
1995
1994-1996
1992-1994
Publications
(1) “Predictions for Neutrino Structure Functions,” with Fredrick I. Olness et al., Physical Review D64
(2001) 033003
(2) “Heavy Quark Hadroproduction in Perturbative QCD,” with Fredrick I. Olness and Wu-Ki Tung,
Physical Review D59 (1999) 014506
(3) “Infra-red Kuiper Belt Constraints,” with Vigdor L. Teplitz et al., Astrophysical Journal 516 (1999)
425
(4) “Heavy Quark Parton Distributions: Mass-dependent or Mass-independent Evolution?,” with Fredrick I.
Olness, Physical Review D57 (1998) 241-244
(5) “Renormalization of Composite Operators in Yang-Mills Theories Using a General Covariant Gauge,”
with John C. Collins, Physical Review D50 (1994) 4117-36
(6) “Unitary Lowest Weight Representations of the Non-Compact Supergroup OSp(2M ∗ /2N ),” with Murat
Günaydin, Journal of Mathematical Physics 32 (1991) 599-606
(7) “Scintillating Fibers and Waveguides for Tracking Applications,” with B. Baumbaugh et al., IEEE
Transactions on Nuclear Science 38 (1991) 441-445
Synergistic Activities
• Co-PI SMU Quarknet project, 2002-present (http://www.physics.smu.edu/olness/quarknet/).
• Co-Director annual Dallas Regional Science and Engineering Fair, 2000-present.
• Mentor
SMU
Undergraduate
Research
Assistantships
program
(URA),
(http://www.physics.smu.edu/ugradResearch/).
Past and present collaborators
John C. Collins (PSU)
Fredrick I. Olness (SMU)
Wu-Ki Tung (MSU) [deceased]
Vigdor L. Teplitz (SMU) [retired]
Murat Günaydin (PSU)
2008
20August
22, 2011 11:44
Graduate and postdoctoral advisors
Professor John C. Collins
Professor Emil Kazes
The Pennsylvania State University
The Pennsylvania State University
Graduate students
Jian Wang
Wanjun Yu
Southern Methodist University
Southern Methodist University
M. S. student
M. S. student
1998
1997
21
August 22, 2011 11:44
Pavel M. Nadolsky
Assistant Professor
Department of Physics
Southern Methodist University
Dallas, TX 75275, USA
Phone: (214) 768-1756
Fax: (214) 768-4095
E-mail: nadolsky@smu.edu
Web page: http://www.physics.smu.edu/nadolsky
Education and training
Michigan State University
Argonne National Laboratory
Southern Methodist University
Michigan State University
Institute for HEP (Russia)
Moscow State University
High energy physics
High energy physics
High energy physics
Physics
Physics/Math
Physics
Postdoc
Postdoc
Postdoc
Ph. D.
Researcher
M. Sc.
2007-2008
2004-2007
2001-2004
1996-2001
1992-1996
1986-1992
Appointments
Southern Methodist University
Assistant Professor in theoretical physics
2008-present
Selected publications
(1) J. Pumplin, D. R. Stump, J. Huston, H.-L. Lai, P.M. Nadolsky, W.-K. Tung: New generation of parton
distribution with uncertainties from global QCD analysis, JHEP 0207, 012 (2002).
(2) P.M.Nadolsky, H.-L.Lai, Q.-H.Cao, J.Huston, J.Pumplin, D.Stump, W.-K.Tung,
and C.-P. Yuan, Implications of CTEQ global PDF analysis for collider observables,
Phys.Rev.D78, 013004 (2008).
(3) H.-L. Lai, M. Guzzi, J. Huston, Z. Li, P. M. Nadolsky, J. Pumplin, C.-P.˜Yuan, New parton distributions
for collider physics, Phys.Rev. D82, 074024 (2010).
(4) H.-L. Lai, J. Huston, Z. Li, P. Nadolsky, J. Pumplin, D. Stump, C.-P.˜Yuan, Uncertainty induced by
QCD coupling in the CTEQ global analysis of parton distributions,’ Phys.Rev. D82, 054021 (2010).
(5) C.Balazs, E.Berger, P.M.Nadolsky, C.-P.Yuan: Calculation of prompt diphoton production cross sections
at Tevatron and LHC energies, Phys.Rev.D76, 013009 (2007).
(6) F. Landry, R. Brock, P.M. Nadolsky, and C.-P. Yuan: Tevatron Run-1 Z boson data and Collins-SoperSterman resummation formalism, Phys. Rev. D67, 073016 (2003).
(7) A.Konychev, P.M.Nadolsky: Universality of Collins-Soper-Sterman nonperturbative function in gauge
boson production, Phys. Lett. B633, 710 (2006).
(8) S.Berge, P.M.Nadolsky, F.I.Olness, and C.-P. Yuan: Transverse momentum resummation at small x for
the Tevatron and LHC, Phys. Rev. D72, 033015 (2005).
(9) P. M. Nadolsky, N. Kidonakis, F. I. Olness, and C.-P. Yuan: Resummation of transverse momentum and
mass logarithms in DIS heavy-quark production, Phys. Rev. D67, 074015(2003).
(10) P. Nadolsky, D.R. Stump, and C.-P. Yuan: Semi-inclusive hadron production at HERA: the effect of
QCD gluon resummation, Phys. Rev. D61, 014003 (2000).
Synergistic Activities
• Member of the Coordinated Theoretical-Experimental Project on QCD
(CTEQ, http://www.cteq.org)
• LHC Theory Initiative Fellow, 2008
• Lecturer, CTEQ summer school on QCD Analysis and Phenomenology, Madison, WI, 2007, 2009, 2011
• Convener of the Hadronic Final States working group, XIII International Workshop on DIS and QCD
(DIS2005), Madison, WI, 2005
22August
22, 2011 11:44
• Referee for Journal of High Energy Physics, Nuclear Physics B, Physics Letters B, and Physical Review
D
Past and present collaborators
Csaba Balazs (Monash University)
Alexander Belyaev (University of Southampton)
Stefan Berge (Aachen University)
Edmond Berger (Argonne National Laboratory)
Gerry Bunce (Brookhaven National Laboratory)
Qing-Hong Cao (Argonne National Laboratory)
Jun Gao (Beijing University/SMU)
Claudia Glasman (Autonoma University, Spain)
Marco Guzzi (Southern Methodist University)
Joey Huston (Michigan State University)
Nikolaos Kidonakis (Kennesaw State University)
Anton Konychev (Indiana University Southeast)
Hung-Liang Lai (Natl. University of Taiwan)
Zhao Li (Michigan State University)
Steven Maxfield (Liverpool University)
Stephen Mrenna (Fermilab)
Fredrick Olness (Southern Methodist University)
Frank Petriello (University of Wisconsin)
Matthias Grosse-Perdekamp (UIUC)
Jon Pumplin (Michigan State University)
Stephen Mrenna (Fermilab)
Mark Strikman (Penn State University)
Ralf Seidl (UIUC)
Bernd Surrow (MIT)
Daniel Stump (Michigan State University)
Wu-Ki Tung (University of Washington)
Doreen Wackeroth (SUNY Buffalo)
C.-P. Yuan (Michigan State University)
Graduate and postdoctoral advisors
Professor
Professor
Professor
Professor
C.-P. Yuan
Wu-Ki Tung
Edmond Berger
Fredrick Olness
Michigan State University
University of Washington
Argonne National Laboratory
Southern Methodist University
Graduate students
Zhihua Liang
Sophia Chabysheva
Anton Konychev
Southern Methodist University
Southern Methodist University
Indiana University Southeast
Ph. D. student
Ph. D.
Ph. D.
present
2009
2006
23
August 22, 2011 11:44
Jodi A. Cooley
Assistant Professor
Department of Physics
Southern Methodist University
Dallas, TX 75275, USA
Phone: (214) 768-4687
Fax: (214) 768-4095
E-mail: cooley@physics.smu.edu
Web page: http://www.physics.smu.edu/cooley
Education and training
Stanford University
Massachusetts Institute of
Technology
University of Wisconsin - Madison
University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee
Physics Department
Laboratory for Nuclear
Physics
Physics Department
Physics/Math
Postdoc
Postdoc
2004-2009
2003-2004
Ph. D.
Researcher
2003
1997
Appointments
Southern Methodist University
CDMS II
CDMS II
KTI (NSF GK-12 Program)
KTI (NSF GK-12 Program)
Assistant Professor
Analysis Coordinator
Moderator, Data Quality, DAQ and Computing
Group
Fellowship
Fellowship
2009-present
2008-2009
2005-2008
2001
2000
Publications
(1) CDMS II Collab. (Z. Ahmed et al.), Results from a Low-Energy Analysis of the CDMS II Germanium
Data, Phys. Rev. Lett. 106:131302 (2011).
(2) CDMS II Collab. (D.S. Akerib et al.), Low-Threshold Analysis of CDMS Shallow-Site Data,
Phys.Rev.D83:122004 (2010).
(3) D. Bauer, S. Burke, J. Cooley, et al., The CDMS II Data Acquisition System, Nucl. Instrum. Meth.
A638:127 (2011).
(4) CDMS II collaboration (Z. Ahmed et al.), Dark Matter Search Results from the CDMS II Experiment,
Science 327:1619-1621,2010.
(5) CDMS Collaboration (Z. Ahmed et al.), Analysis of the low-energy electron-recoil spectrum of the CDMS
experiment, Phys.Rev.D81:042002,2010.
(6) CDMS Collaboration (Z. Ahmed et al.), Search for Axions with the CDMS Experiment,
Phys.Rev.Lett.103:141802,2009.
(7) CDMS Collaboration (Z. Ahmed et al.), Search for Weakly Interacting Massive Particles with the
First Five-Tower Data from the Cryogenic Dark Matter Search at the Soudan Underground Laboratory,
Phys.Rev.Lett.102:011301,2009.
(8) P.L. Brink et al, First test runs of a dark-matter detector with interleaved ionization electrodes and
phonon sensors for surface-event rejection, Nucl.Instrum.Meth.A559:414-416,2006.
(9) SuperCDMS Collaboration (D.S. Akerib et al.), The SuperCDMS proposal for dark matter detection,
Nucl.Instrum.Meth.A559:411-413,2006.
(10) M. Pyle, P.L. Brink, B. Cabrera, J.P. Castle, P. Colling, C.L. Chang, J. Cooley, T. Lipus, R.W. Ogburn,
B.A. Young, Quasiparticle propagation in aluminum fins and tungsten TES dynamics in the CDMS ZIP
detector, Nucl.Instrum.Meth.A559:405-407,2006.
Synergistic Activities
• Guest Speaker, ”QuarkNet”, SMU, Summer 2011.
• Speaker, ”Collegium da Vinci” lecture series, SMU, Fall 2010.
24August
•
•
•
•
•
22, 2011 11:44
Guest Speaker, What Do Physicist Do lecture series, Sonoma State University, Spring 2009
Newsletter Editor, APS Forum on Graduate Student Affairs, 2006
Elected Member-at-Large, APS Forum on Graduate Student Affairs, 2003-2005
KTI (Kindergarten through Infinity) Program Fellow, part of NSF GK-12 program. 2000 & 2001
Presenter, UW-Madison Speakers Bureau, University of Wisconsin-Madison, office of the Chancellor.
Past and present collaborators
CDMS II Collaboration
(http://cdms.berkeley.edu/cdms collab.html)
Graduate and postdoctoral advisors
Professor Albrecht Karle
Professor Kate Scholberg
Professor Blas Cabrera
University of Wisconsin - Madison
Duke University
Stanford University
Postdoctoral Advisees
Dr. Silvia Scorza
Southern Methodist University (current)
Graduate students
Bedile Karabuga
Hang Qiu
Southern Methodist University
Southern Methodist University
Ph. D. student
Ph. D.
present
present
25
August 22, 2011 11:44
Stephen J. Sekula
Assistant Professor
Department of Physics
Southern Methodist University
Dallas, TX 75275, USA
Phone: (214) 768-7832
Fax: (214) 768-4095
E-mail: sekula@physics.smu.edu
Web page: http://www.physics.smu.edu/sekula
Education and training
The Ohio State University
The Massachusetts Institute of
Technology
The University of Wisconsin-Madison
The University of Wisconsin-Madison
Yale University
High Energy Physics
Postdoc
Postdoc
2004-2007
2007-2009
Physics
Physics
B.S.
Ph. D.
M.A.
1994-1998
1998-2004
1998-2000
Appointments
Southern Methodist University
Assistant Professor in Experimental Physics
2009-present
Publications
(1) B. Aubert et al. [BABAR Collaboration], A Search for B + → ℓ+ νℓ Recoiling Against B − → D0 ℓ− ν̄X,
Phys. Rev. D 81, 051101 (2010).
(2) J. P. Lees et al. [The BABAR Collaboration], Search for Charged Lepton Flavor Violation in Narrow
Upsilon Decays, Phys. Rev. Lett. 104, 151802 (2010).
(3) B. Aubert et al. [BABAR Collaboration], Search for a low-mass Higgs boson in Υ(3S) → γA0 , A0 →
τ + τ − at BABAR, Phys. Rev. Lett. 103, 181801 (2009)
(4) B. Aubert et al. [BABAR Collaboration], Evidence for the ηb (1S) Meson in Radiative Upsilon(2S)
Decay, Phys. Rev. Lett. 103, 161801 (2009).
(5) B. Aubert et al. [BABAR Collaboration], A Search for Invisible Decays of the Upsilon(1S), Phys. Rev.
Lett. 103, 251801 (2009).
(6) B. Aubert et al. [BABAR Collaboration], Observation of the bottomonium ground state in the decay
Υ(3S) → γηb , Phys. Rev. Lett. 101, 071801 (2008).
(7) B. Aubert et al. [BABAR Collaboration], A Measurement of CP Asymmetry in b → sγ using a Sum of
Exclusive Final States, Phys. Rev. Lett. 101, 171804 (2008).
(8) B. Aubert et al. [BABAR Collaboration], A Search for B + → τ + ν, Phys. Rev. D 76, 052002 (2007).
(9) B. Aubert et al. [BABAR Collaboration], Search for the Rare Radiative Penguin Decays B + → ρ+ γ,
B 0 → ρ0 γ, and B 0 → ωγ, Phys. Rev. Lett. 94, 011801,(2005).
(10) B. Aubert et al. [BABAR Collaboration], Observation of CP violation in the B 0 meson system, Phys.
Rev. Lett. 87, 091801 (2001).
Synergistic Activities
• Creator and Host of the “Mustang Physics” podcast on physicists and physics research (2010-present)
• Faculty Leader of SMU Society of Physics Students Annual Trip to SLAC, Google, Lick Observatory,
and the Exploratorium (2010)
• Elected member of SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory User’s Organization Executive Committee
(2008-2010)
• Member of the BaBar Collaboration Publication Board (2009-present)
• Co-chair of the BaBar Task Force on the Upsilon(3S,2S) Data (2008-2009)
• Co-convener of the BaBar Leptonic Bottom and Charm Working Group (2004-2008)
• SLAC Public Lecture Series. The Matter with Anti-matter (2004)
26August
22, 2011 11:44
Past and present collaborators
The BaBar Collaboration:
http://www.slac.stanford.edu/cgi-wrap/colli
The ATLAS Collaboration:
http://graybook.cern.ch/programmes/experiments/lhc/ATLAS.html
More specific collaborators with whom I have worked closely:
Patrignani, Claudia (INFN Sezione di Genova)
Brandt, Andrew (University of Texas - Arlington)
Corwin, Luke (Indiana University)
Potter, Christopher (McGill University)
Eisner, Alan (University of California - Santa Cruz)
Randle-Conde, Aidan (Southern Methodist
Flechl, Martin (Universitat Freiburg)
University)
Godang, Romulus (University of Mississippi)
Robertson, Steven (McGill University)
Jackson, Paul (SLAC National Accelerator
Rotondo, Marcello (INFN Seziona di Padova)
Laboratory)
Stroynowski, Ryszard (Southern Methodist
Kehoe, Robert (Southern Methodist University)
University)
Kolomensky, Yury (University of California Schram, Malachi (McGill University)
Berkeley)
Winstrom, Lucas (Cornell University)
Lipeles, Elliot (University of Pennsylania)
Vickey, Trevor (University of Witwatersrand)
Long, Owen (University of California - Riverside)
Ye, Jingbo (Southern Methodist University)
Graduate and postdoctoral advisors
Fisher, Peter (Massachusetts Institute of
Technology)
Gan, K. K. (The Ohio State University)
Honscheid, Klaus (The Ohio State
University)
Kagan, Harris (The Ohio State University)
Kass, Richard (The Ohio State University)
Pan, Yibin (University of
Wisconsin-Madison)
Sciolla, Gabriella (Massachusetts Institute
of Technology)
Wu, Sau Lan (University of
Wisconsin-Madison)
Yamamoto, Richard (Massachusetts
Institute of Technology)
Graduate students
Cao, Tinting
Ferdousi, Banafsheh
Southern Methodist University
Southern Methodist University
Ph. D. student
M.S. student
present
present
August 22, 2011 11:44
27
Daniel R. Reynolds
Dept. of Mathematics, Southern Methodist University, PO Box 750156, Dallas, TX, 75275-0156
http://faculty.smu.edu/reynolds ; reynolds@smu.edu
Education and Training
• Southwestern University, Mathematics, B.A., 1998.
• Rice University, Computational and Applied Mathematics, M.A., 2001.
• Rice University, Computational and Applied Mathematics, Ph.D., 2003.
Research and Professional Experience
• Southern Methodist University, Mathematics, Assistant Professor, Aug 2008 – present.
• University of California at San Diego, Mathematics and Astrophysics, Postdoctoral scholar, Aug 2005
– Aug 2008.
• Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Center for Applied Scientific Computing, Postdoctoral researcher, Jul 2003 – Aug 2005.
Publications
(1) D.R. Reynolds, R. Samtaney and C.S. Woodward, Operator-based preconditoning of stiff hyperbolic
systems,, SIAM J. Sci. Comput., 32 (2010), pp. 150-170.
(2) D.R. Reynolds, J.C. Hayes, P. Paschos and M.L. Norman, Self-consistent solution of cosmological radiation hydrodynamics and chemical ionization,, J. Comput. Phys., 228 (2009), pp. 6833-6854.
(3) I.T. Iliev, D. Whalen, K. Ahn, S. Baek, N.Y. Gnedin, A.V. Kravtsov, G. Mellema, M. Norman, M.
Raicevic, D.R. Reynolds, D. Sato, P.R. Shapiro, B. Semelin, J. Smidt, H. Susa, T. Theuns and M.
Umemura, Cosmological radiative transfer codes comparison project II: the radiation-hydrodynamic
tests,, Mon. Not. R. Astron. Soc., 400 (2009), pp. 1283-1316.
(4) M.L. Norman, D.R. Reynolds and G.C. So, Cosmological Radiation Hydrodynamics with Enzo,, Recent
Directions in Astrophysical Quantitative Spectroscopy and Radiation Hydrodynamics., AIP, (2009).
(5) D.R. Reynolds, F.D. Swesty and C.S. Woodward, A Newton-Krylov solver for implicit solution of
hydrodynamics in core collapse supernovae,, J. Phys.: Conf. Ser., (2008), pp. 125.
(6) M.L. Norman, G.L. Bryan, R. Harkness, J. Bordner, D. Reynolds, B. O’Shea and R. Wagner Simulating
cosmological evolution with Enzo,, in Petascale Computing: Algorithms and Applications (D. Bader,
ed.), CRC Press (2007).
(7) D.R. Reynolds, R. Samtaney and C.S. Woodward, A fully implicit numerical method for single-fluid
resistive magnetohydrodynamics,, J. Comput. Phys., 219 (2006), pp. 144-162.
(8) D.E. Keyes, D.R. Reynolds and C.S. Woodward, Implicit solvers for large-scale nonlinear problems,,
J. Phys.: Conf. Ser., 46 (2006), pp. 433-442.
(9) P. Kloucek and D.R. Reynolds, On the modeling of nonlinear thermodynamics in SMA wires,, Comput. Meth. Appl. Mech. Engrg., 196 (2006), pp. 180-191.
(10) P. Kloucek, D.R. Reynolds and T.I. Seidman, Computational modeling of vibration damping in SMA
wires,, Continuum Mechanics and Thermodynamics, 16 (2004), pp. 495-514.
Synergistic Activities
• Organizer, invited mini-symposium on “Applications of nonlinear solvers”, 2005 SIAM annual meeting.
• Co-organizer, Finite Element Rodeo, 2010.
• Organizer, plenary panel discussion on “Research directions and enabling technologies for the future of
Computational Science & Engineering,” SIAM Conference on CS&E, 2007.
• Reviewer: Appl. Math. Lett., Astrophys J., Cambridge Univ. Press., Comp. Phys. Comm.,
J. Comp. Phys., J. Intel. Mat. Syst. Str., New Astron., NSF GEM program, SIAM J. Num. Anal.,
SIAM J. Sci. Comput., SIAM Review, DOE Applied Math program, DOE ASCR program, DOE BER
program, DOE SCGF program, DOE SciDAC program, Neterlands Organization for Scientific Research.
28August
22, 2011 11:44
Collaborators (48 months) and Co-Editors (24 months)
James Bordner (UC San Diego), Robert Harkness (SDSC), John C. Hayes (LLNL), Michael Holst (UC San
Diego), David E. Keyes (Columbia Univ.), Michael L. Norman (UC San Diego), Brian O’Shea (Michigan
State Univ.), Pascal Paschos (UC San Diego), Ravi Samtaney (KAUST), Geoffrey C. So (UC San Diego),
F. Douglas Swesty (SUNY-SB), Ryan Szypowski (UC San Diego), Dan Whalen (Carnegie Mellon Univ.),
Carol S. Woodward (LLNL).
Graduate Students and Postdoctoral Associates (5 years)
Postdoctoral Sponsors: Michael Holst (UC San Diego), Michael Norman (UC San Diego),
Current students: Hilari Tiedeman, David Gardner.
29
August 22, 2011 11:44
Simon Dalley
Senior Lecturer
Physics Department
Southern Methodist University
Dallas TX 75275-0175, USA
Phone: (214) 768-2109
Fax: (214) 768-4095
E-mail: sdalley@physics.smu.edu
Web page: http://www.physics.smu.edu/dalley
Education and training
University of Wales Swansea Institute
CERN Theory Division
Oxford University
Princeton University
Southampton University
Cambridge University
Oxford University
Post-Graduate Certificate
in Education
Research Fellow
Research Associate
Visiting Research Fellow
Theoretical Physics
Theoretical Physics
Physics
2004
1997-1999
1993-1995
1991-1993
Ph.D.
M.Sc.
B.A.
1998-1991
1987-1988
1984-1987
Appointments
Southern Methodist University
Swansea University
Cambridge University
International Light Cone Advisory
Committee
Southern Methodist University
Senior Lecturer
Lecturer
Advanced Research Fellow
Director
Member, Dept. of Teaching Advisory Board
2006 ??? present
2002-2006
1995-2002
1995-present
2009-present
Publications
(1) FINITE TEMPERATURE GAUGE THEORY FROM THE TRANSVERSE LATTICE, S. Dalley and
B. van de Sande, Phys. Rev. Lett. 95:162001 (2005).
(2) TRANSVERSE LATTICE CALCULATION OF THE PION LIGHT CONE WAVEFUNCTIONS, S.
Dalley and B. van de Sande, Phys. Rev. D67:114507 (2003).
(3) THE RELATIVISTIC BOUND STATE PROBLEM IN QCD: TRANSVERSE LATTICE METHODS,
M. Burkardt and S. Dalley, Prog. Part. Nucl. Phys. 48:317-362 (2002).
(4) GLUEBALL CALCULATIONS IN LARGE N(C) GAUGE THEORY, S. Dalley and B. van de Sande,
Phys. Rev. Lett. 82:1088-1091 (1999).
(5) TRANSVERSE LATTICE APPROACH TO LIGHT FRONT HAMILTONIAN QCD, S. Dalley and
B. van de Sande, Phys. Rev. D59:065008 (1999).
(6) LIGHT CONE WAVE FUNCTIONS AT SMALL X, F. Antonuccio, S.J. Brodsky and S. Dalley, Phys.
Lett. B412:104-110 (1997).
(7) A (1+1)-DIMENSIONAL REDUCED MODEL OF MESONS, F. Antonuccio and S. Dalley, Phys. Lett.
B376:154-162 (1996).
(8) GLUEBALLS FROM (1+1)-DIMENSIONAL GAUGE THEORIES WITH TRANSVERSE DEGREES
OF FREEDOM, F. Antonuccio and S. Dalley, Nucl. Phys. B461:275-304 (1996).
(9) STRING SPECTRUM OF (1+1)-DIMENSIONAL LARGE N QCD WITH ADJOINT MATTER, S.
Dalley and I.R. Klebanov, Phys. Rev. D47:2517-2527 (1993).
(10) MULTICRITICAL COMPLEX MATRIX MODELS AND NONPERTURBATIVE 2-D QUANTUM
GRAVITY, S. Dalley, C.V.Johnson and T.R.Morris, Nucl. Phys. B368:625-654 (1992).
Synergistic Activities
• Coordinator, SMU QuarkNet center (www.physics.smu.edu)
30August
22, 2011 11:44
• President, Dallas Regional Science and Engineering Fair (www.drsef.org)
Past and present collaborators
Stanley Brodsky (SLAC)???
Matthias Burkardt (New Mexico State)
Igor Klebanov (Princeton)???
Clifford Johnson (UCLA)???
Tim Morris (Southampton)???
Pavel Nadolsky (SMU) ???
Brett van de Sande (Arizona State)
Gary McCartor (deceased)
Graduate and postdoctoral advisors
Professor Tim Morris
Southampton University
Graduate students
F. Antonuccio
Oxford University
Ph. D. student
1996
31
August 22, 2011 11:44
Biographical Sketch : Alejandro Aceves
Education:
• Ph.D. University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, Applied Mathematics,
Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, Applied Mathematics, 1983
1988: M.Sc.,
California
Current and Prior Professional Positions:
• Professor (8/08-) Department of Mathematics, Southern Methodist University, Dallas Texas
• Department Chair (8/04-7/08), Professor (8/01-), Associate Prof. (7/95-8/01), Assistant Prof. (8/897/95). Department of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of New Mexico
• Visiting Associate Professor (9/96-5/97), Brown University, Applied Mathematics.
• Visiting Research Associate (1/90-6/90), Heriot-Watt University, Scotland.
Research Interests:
• Nonlinear optics, laser physics
• Nonlinear wave propagation, soliton theory
Awards and Honors:
• University of New Mexico Regents Lecturer (1998-2001).
• “David Alcaraz” Annual Lecture, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Mexico, November 2001.
• Senior Member, Optical Society of America 2010Selected Publications (of a total of over 65 with around 1,500 citations):
• E. J. Bochove, A. B. Aceves, Y. Braiman, P. Colet, R. Deiterding, A. Jacobo, C. A. Miller, C. Rhodes
and S. A. Shakir (2011) “Model of the Self Q-Switching Instability of Passively Phased Fiber Laser
Arrays” IEEE Journal ofQuantum Electronics 47 777-785.
• A. Tonello, M. Szpulak, J. Olszewski, S. Wabnitz, A. B. Aceves and W.Urbanczyk (2009) “Non- linear
control of soliton pulse delay with asymmetric dual-core photonic crystal bers” Optics Letters 34 920922.
• Olivier Chalus, Alexey Sukhinin, Alejandro Aceves and Jean-Claude Diels (2008) “Propagation of nondiffracting intense ultraviolet beams” Optics Communications 281 3356-3360.
• G. Srinivasan, A. B. Aceves, D. M. Tartakovsky (2008) “Nonlinear localization of light in disordered
ber arrays” Phys Rev A 77, 063806.
• G. Srinivasan, D. M. Tartakovsky, B. A. Robinson and A. B. Aceves (2007) “Quantification of uncertainty in geochemical reactions” Water Resources Research 43 W12415.
• A. Aceves, R. Chen, Y. Chung, T. Hagstrom and M. Hummel (2011), “Modeling supercontinuum
generation in bers with general dispersion characteristics” Discrete and Continuous Dynamical SystemsSeries S 4 957-973.
• L. A. Cisneros, A. B. Aceves and A. A. Minzoni (2011) “Asymptotics for supersonic traveling waves in
the Morse lattice” Discrete and Continuous Dynamical Systems- Series S 4 975-994.
• A. Aceves, C.M. deSterke and M. Weinstein (2003), Book chapter: “Theory of nonlinear pulse propagation periodic structures” Nonlinear Photonic Crystals, B. Eggleton and R.E. Slusher. Springer series
in Photonics, Vol 10. Springer Eds.
• Aceves A. B., De Angelis C., Luther G. G., Rubenchik A. M. and Turitsyn S.K. (1995), “Energy
Localization in nonlinear fiber arrays: Collapse effect compressor”. Physical Review Letters 75, 73-76.
32August
22, 2011 11:44
• Aceves, A. B. and Wabnitz, S. (1989) “Self Induced Transparency Solitons in Nonlinear Refractive
Periodic Media” Phys. Lett. A 141, 37-42.
Synergistic Activities:
• Affiliate scientist at the Los Alamos National Laboratory (since 2003).
• Chair of the Nonlinear Waves and Coherent Structures of the Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics (SIAM), 2005-06.
• Member of the Editorial Board the Book series on Mathematical Modeling and Computation, the
Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics (SIAM), 2005-08.
• Symposium co-organizer, SACNAS National Conference 2010, 2011.
Former PhD students:
Prof. Anjan Biswas (PhD 1998, Associate Prof., Delaware Sate U.)
Dr. Paul Bennett (PhD 2000, Computer Scientist, Computer Science Corporation, Vicksburg Mississippi)
Dr. Tomas Dohnal (PhD 2005, Postdoctoral fellow ETH, Zurich Switzerland 05-07. Currently research Fellow,
Department of Mathematics, University of Karlsruhe, Germany).
Gowri Srinivasan (PhD 2008, Postdoctoral fellow Los Alamos National Laboratory)
Former MS Students
Mr. Christopher Donahue (MS 2007. Currently in the Neuroscience PhD program, Yale University).
Ignacio Rozada (MS 2006, currently PhD student U. British Columbia, Canada)
BS Honors Thesis
Jordan Allen-Flowers (currently PhD student, Applied Mathematics, at the University of Arizona)
Current PhD students:
Alexey Sukhinin (PhD expected, 08/2011), Alyssa Pampell (PhD expected, 06/2013).
Postdoctoral Fellows:
Dr. Gregory Luther (Adaptive Optics); Prof. Gustavo Cruz-Pacheco (University of Mexico); Prof. Costantino
De Angelis (University of Brescia, Italy); Dr. Marco Santagiustina (University of Padova, Italy).
Most recent collaborators:
Prof Jean Claude Diels (University of New Mexico); Profs. Stefan Wabnitz, Costantino De Angelis (University
of Brescia, Italy); Dr. Erik Bochove (Air Force Research Laboratory, New Mexico); Prof. Yeojin Chung
(Southern Methodist University).
33
August 22, 2011 11:44
Roberto Vega
Associate Professor
Department of Physics
Southern Methodist University
Dallas, TX 75275, USA
Phone: (214) 768-2498
Fax: (214) 768-4095
E-mail: rvega@smu.edu
Web page: http://www.physics.smu.edu/vega
Education and training
University of Texas
Goergia Institute of Technology
High energy physics
Mathematical Physics
Ph.D.
MS
1983-1988
1982-1983
Appointments
Southern Methodist University
Southern Methodist University
Stanford Linear Accelerator Center
University of California at Davis
Indiana University
Stanford Linear Accelerator Center
Associate Professor of Physics
Assistant Professor of Physics
Research Associate
Postdoctoral Research Associate
Visiting Summer Faculty
Program Director SULI
(1998-Present)
(1993-1995)
(1991-1993)
(1988-1990)
(Summer 1989)
(Summers 2001-2004)
Publications
(1) “The Drell-Hearn sum rule at order alpha**3”
D. A. Dicus and R. Vega
Phys. Lett. B 501, 44 (2001) [arXiv:hep-ph/0011212]
(2) “Measuring the neutrino mass using intense photon and neutrino beams”
D. A. Dicus, W. W. Repko and R. Vega
Phys. Rev. D 62, 093027 (2000) [arXiv:hep-ph/0006264]
(3) “Detection of neutral MSSM Higgs bosons in four-b final states at the Tevatron and the
LHC: An update”
J. Dai, J. F. Gunion and R. Vega
Phys. Lett. B 387, 801 (1996) [arXiv:hep-ph/9607379]
(4) “Detection of the Minimal Supersymmetric Model Higgs Boson H0 in its h0 h0 → 4b and
A0 A0 → 4b Decay Channels”
J. Dai, J. F. Gunion and R. Vega
Phys. Lett. B 371, 71 (1996) [arXiv:hep-ph/9511319]
(5) “A Covariant Method for Calculating Helicity Amplitudes”
R. Vega and J. Wudka
Phys. Rev. D 53, 5286 (1996) [Erratum-ibid. D 56, 6037 (1997)] [arXiv:hep-ph/9511318]
(6) “LHC detection of neutral MSSM Higgs bosons via gg → bb̄h → bb̄ bb̄”
J. Dai, J. F. Gunion and R. Vega
Phys. Lett. B 345, 29 (1995) [arXiv:hep-ph/9403362]
(7) “Standard Model Decays Of Tau Into Three Charged Leptons”
D. A. Dicus and R. Vega
Phys. Lett. B 338, 341 (1994) [arXiv:hep-ph/9402262]
(8) “Using b tagging to detect t anti-t Higgs production with Higgs → b anti-b”
J. Dai, J. F. Gunion and R. Vega
Phys. Rev. Lett. 71, 2699 (1993) [arXiv:hep-ph/9306271]
(9) “Guaranteed detection of a minimal supersymmetric model Higgs boson at hadron supercolliders”
J. Dai, J. F. Gunion and R. Vega
Phys. Lett. B 315, 355 (1993) [arXiv:hep-ph/9306319]
34August
22, 2011 11:44
(10) “Constraints on CP violation in the Higgs sector from the rho parameter”
A. Pomarol and R. Vega
Nucl. Phys. B 413, 3 (1994) [arXiv:hep-ph/9305272]
Synergistic Activities
• Reviewer for International Journal of Theoretical Physics
• Reviewer for Physical Review Journals and Reviews of Modern Physics
Past and present collaborators
Duane A. Dicus (U. Texas)
John F. Gunion (UC Davis)
Jose Wudka (UC Riverside)
Bohdan Grzadkowski (Warsaw U.)
Alex Pomarol (U. Barcelona)
Graduate and postdoctoral advisors
Professor Michael Peskin (Postdoc)
Professor John Gunion (Postdoc)
Professor Duane Dicus (Ph.D.)
Stanford Linear Accelerator
University of California at Davis
University of Texas at Austin
35
August 22, 2011 11:44
Tiankuan Liu
Research Associate Professor
Department of Physics
Southern Methodist University
Dallas, TX 75275, USA
Phone: (214) 768-1472
Fax: (214) 768-4095
E-mail: liu@physics.smu.edu
Education and training
University of Science and Technology
of China
University of Science and Technology
of China
University of Science and Technology
of China
nuclear physics
PH.D.
1995-1998
nuclear physics
M.Sc.
1993-1994
nuclear physics
B.Sc.
1987-1992
Appointments
Southern Methodist University
Research Associate Professor in experimental
physics
2010-present
Publications
(1) L. Amaral et al, The versatile link, a common project for super-LHC., JINST 4:P12003, Dec 2009.
(2) Datao Gong et al, Development of A 16:1 serializer for data transmission at 5 Gbps, presented at the
topical workshop on electronics in particle physics (TWEPP), Paris, France, Sep. 21-25, 2009.
(3) Annie Xiang et al, High-Speed Serial Optical Link Test Bench Using FPGA with Embedded
Transceivers, presented at the topical workshop on electronics in particle physics (TWEPP), Paris,
France, Sep. 21-25, 2009.
(4) Tiankuan Liu et al, The Design of a High Speed Low Power Phase Locked Loop, presented at the
topical workshop on electronics in particle physics (TWEPP), Paris, France, Sep. 21-25, 2009.
(5) B. Arvidsson et al, The radiation tolerance of specific optical fibres exposed to 650 kGy(Si) of ionizing
radiation, JINST 4 P07010, Jul 2009
(6) NJ Buchanan et al , Radiation qualification of the front-end electronics for the readout of the ATLAS
liquid argon calorimeters, JINST 3 P10005, Volume 3, October 2008
(7) NJ Buchanan et al, ATLAS liquid argon calorimeter front end electronics, JINST 3 P09003, Volume 3,
September 2008
(8) G. Aad et al, The ATLAS Experiment at the CERN Large Hadron Collider, JINST 3 S08003, Volume
3, August 2008
(9) N J Buchanan et al, Design and implementation of the Front End Board for the readout of the ATLAS
liquid argon calorimeters, JINST 3 P03004, March 2008
(10) A. Bazan et al, ATLAS liquid argon calorimeter back end electronics, JINST 2:P06002, Volume 2, June
2007
(11) Tiankuan Liu et al, Total Ionization Dose Effects and Single-Event Effects Studies Of a 0.25 um SiliconOn-Sapphire CMOS Technology, the 9th European Conference Radiation and Its Effects on Components
and Systems (RADECS), September 10th to 14th, 2007, Deauville, France.
(12) Chu Xiang, Tiankuan Liu et al, Total Ionizing Dose and Single Event Effect Studies of a 0.25 micron
CMOS Serializer ASIC, 2007 IEEE Nuclear and Space Radiation Effects Conference, Honolulu, Hawaii,
July 23-27, 2007
(13) Thomas Coan, Tiankuan Liu, and Jingbo Ye, Compact Apparatus for Muon Lifetime Measurement and
Time Dilation Demonstration in the Undergraduate Laboratory, American Journal of Physics 74(2),
February 2006.
36August
22, 2011 11:44
(14) Jingbo Ye, Tiankuan Liu et al, Radiation Resistance of Single Frequency 1310-nm AlGaInAs-InP
Grating-Out coupled Surface-Emitting Lasers, IEEE Photonics Technology Letters Vol. 18, No. 1,
January 2006.
Synergistic Activities
• Participated in developing high speed (5 Gbps), high reliable, radiation-tolerant optical interface as an
ATLAS-CMS common project C Versatile Link. Tested the radiation characteristics of optical fibers.
Developing a common test platform - an FPGA-based bit error ratio tester.
• Played a leading role in building high speed (100 Gbps per front-end board), high reliable, radiationtolerant optical links for the ATLAS Liquid Argon Calorimeter upgrade. Designed a 5 GHz LC-tankbased phase-locked loop (PLL).
• Played a leading role in building high speed (1.6 Gbps per front-end board), high reliable, radiationtolerant optical links for the ATLAS Liquid Argon Calorimeter. Tested the serializer/deserializer HDMP
2022/1024. Led the quality control test of optical transmitters and receivers.
• Tested the radiation tolerance of the A/D converter AD9042 for ATLAS Liquid Argon Calorimeter.
Developed an evaluation system of AD9042. The major features measured using this evaluation system
are comparable or better than those measured using the chip manufacturers evaluation system.
• Built a stand-alone, low cost, compact data acquisition system for a teaching instrument of cosmic
muon physics study.
Past and present collaborators
Bruce Baller (FNAL)
Hucheng Chen (BNL)
Ming-Lee Chu (IPAS, Academia Sinica)
Bonnie Fleming (Yale University)
Raphael Galea (Columbia University)
Gianluigi De Geronimo (BNL)
Huen Hou (IPAS, Academia Sinica)
Todd Huffman (Oxford University)
Simon Kwan (FNAL)
Francisco Lanni (BNL)
David Lissauer (BNL)
John Parson (Columbia University)
Alan Prosser (FNAL)
Veljko Radeka (BNL)
Stefan Simion (Columbia University)
P. K. Teng (IPAS, Academia Sinica)
Craig Thorn (BNL)
Jan Troska (CERN)
Jon Urheim (Indiana Univ. Bloomington)
Francois Vasey (CERN)
Tony Weidberg (Oxford University)
William Willis (Columbia University)
Graduate and postdoctoral advisors
Professor Xiaoqi Yu
University of Science and Technology of
China
37
August 22, 2011 11:44
Annie Xiang
Research Associate Professor
Department of Physics
Southern Methodist University
Dallas, TX 75275, USA
Phone: (214) 768-1472
Fax: (214) 768-4095
E-mail: cxiang@smu.edu
Education and training
Rice University
Electrical and Computer
Engineering
Physics
TsingHua University
PH.D.
1997-2001
B.Sc.
1992-1996
Appointments
Southern Methodist University
Southern Methodist University
Photodigm Inc.
Latus Lightworks Inc.
Research Associate Professor
Research Engineer
Laser Compliance and Reliability Engineer
Long Haul Transport Engineer
2009-present
2005-2009
2002-2004
2001-2002
Publications
(1) A. Xiang et al, Link model simulation and power penalty specification of the versatile link systems,
JINST 6:C01088, Jan 2011.
(2) A. Xiang et al, Design and verification of a bit error rate tester in Altera FPGA for optical link
developments, JINST 5:C12003, Dec 2010.
(3) L. Amaral et al, The versatile link, a common project for super-LHC., JINST 4:P12003, Dec 2009.
(4) A. Xiang et al, High-Speed Serial Optical Link Test Bench Using FPGA with Embedded Transceivers,
presented at the topical workshop on electronics in particle physics (TWEPP), Paris, France, Sep.
21-25, 2009.
(5) B. Arvidsson et al, The radiation tolerance of specific optical fibres exposed to 650 kGy(Si) of ionizing
radiation, JINST 4 P07010, Jul 2009
(6) A. Xiang et al, Total Ionizing Dose and Single Event Effect Studies of a 0.25 micron CMOS Serializer
ASIC, 2007 IEEE Nuclear and Space Radiation Effects Conference, Honolulu, Hawaii, July 23-27, 2007
(7) A. Xiang et al, Wavelength Shift Keying Technique to Reduce Four-Wave Mixing Crosstalk in WDM,
IEEE LEOS Annual Meeting Proceedings, pp.609-610, 1999
Synergistic Activities
•
•
•
•
SMU coordinator, Versatile Link, an ATLAS-CMS common project
Team member, Atlas upgrade R&D, on general read-out ASICs
Team member, Atlas upgrade R&D, on inner-detector read-out optics
Co-instructor, telecommunication courses to physics and EE graduate students
Past and present collaborators
Ming-Lee Chu (IPAS, Academia Sinica)
Huen Hou (IPAS, Academia Sinica)
Cigdem Issever (Oxford University)
Jason Nielson (SCIPP, UC Santa Cruz)
Stefan Simion (Columbia University)
Jan Troska (CERN)
Tony Weidberg (Oxford University)
Vitaliy Fadeyev (SCIPP, UC Santa Cruz)
Todd Huffman (Oxford University)
Simon Kwan (FNAL)
Alan Prosser (FNAL)
P. K. Teng (IPAS, Academia Sinica)
Francois Vasey (CERN)
38August
22, 2011 11:44
Graduate and postdoctoral advisors
James Young
Rice University
39
August 22, 2011 11:44
Datao Gong
Phone: (214) 768-1472
Fax: (214) 768-4095
E-mail: dtgong@physics.smu.edu
Research Associate Professor
Department of Physics
Southern Methodist University
Dallas, TX 75275, USA
Education and training
University
University
of China
University
of China
University
of China
of Minnesota
of Science and Technology
Particle Physics
Physics
Postdoc
PH.D.
2001-2007
1996-1999
of Science and Technology
Physics
M.Sc.
1994-1995
of Science and Technology
Physics
B.Sc.
1988-1993
Appointments
Southern Methodist University
Southern Methodist University
University of Science and
Technology of China
Research Associate Professor
Research Engineer
Lecture
2009-present
2007-2009
2000-2001
Publications
(1) Datao Gong et al, Development of A 16:1 serializer for data transmission at 5 Gbps, presented at the
topical workshop on electronics in particle physics (TWEPP), Paris, France, Sep. 21-25, 2009.
(2) Tiankuan Liu et al, The Design of a High Speed Low Power Phase Locked Loop, presented at the topical
workshop on electronics in particle physics (TWEPP), Paris, France, Sep. 21-25, 2009.
(3) Observation of hc ((1)P(1)) state of charmonium J. L. Rosner et al. [CLEO Collaboration] Phys. Rev.
Lett. 95, 102003 (2005) [arXiv:hep-ex/0505073]
(4) Observation of ηc′ production in gamma gamma fusion at CLEO D. M. Asner et al. [CLEO Collaboration]
Phys. Rev. Lett. 92, 142001 (2004) [arXiv:hep-ex/0312058]
(5) A shift register track finding method for online trigger system Datao Gong et al., Nuclear electronics
and detector technology. 2000(3) p199 203
Synergistic Activities
• Designed a 5 Gbps 16:1 serializer based on a commercial 0.25 um Silicon-on-Sapphire (SOS) process for
ATLAS Liquid Argon Calorimeter upgrade.
• Tested the 2.5 Gbps 20:1 serializer which is the first version of serializer for ATLAS Liquid Argon
Calorimeter upgrade.
• Searching for singlet P-wave charmonium, hc , in Psi prime decays to 0 and c in exclusive mode. Made
a first observation of hc.
• Searched for the ηc′ , a charm and anti-charm quarks bound state in CLEO III data and discovered it
exists in two-photon fusion.
Past and present collaborators
Huen Hou (IPAS, Academia Sinica)
Paulo Moreira (CERN)
Fukun Tang (University of Chicago)
Jonathan Rosner(University of Chicago)
Zaza Metreveli (Northwestern University)
Kamal Seth (Northwestern University)
40August
22, 2011 11:44
Graduate and postdoctoral advisors
Ronald Poling
Yuichi Kubota
Xiaoqi Yu
University of Minnesota
University of Minnesota
University of Science and Technology of
China
August 22, 2011 11:44
41
4. Budget Description
This proposal requests funds to support a program for 10 undergraduates for each summer. The budget
includes support for 10 weeks of research. A stipend of $2100 per month is supplemented by $1250 per month
for housing and partial meals each day. A modest travel budget of $1000 per student is also requested.
We request $5000 for travel of faculty mentors for recruitment activities. For example, Aceves would like
to travel to UT Pan American, a substantially minority institution, for recruitment purposes. We also request
$1500 to purchase various supplies such as recruitment materials, folders, books and other materials for the
students’ use during the program. It is also for meals or food for the weekly meetings and final symposium.
Lastly, we request one month of faculty summer salary to support Co-PI Scalise in his administrative
roles. Kehoe already has summer salary support.
42August
22, 2011 11:44
5. Current and Pending Support
The base experimental and theoretical research in the physics department at SMU is supported by DOE under
grant DE-FG02-04ER41299. Nadolsky is supported by a five-year DOE Early Career Research Award DESC000387 and by LHC Theory Initiative Travel Fellowship awarded by the U.S. National Science Foundation
under grant PHY-0705862.
In addition to these funds, the Physics Department has an active Quarknet program for high-school
science teachers which is supported by DOE and NSF (˜$20K/year). The Department also operates the
Dallas Regional Science & Engineering Fair, sponsored by Beal Bank (˜$70K/year). The Lightner-Sams
Foundation funds a portion of the astrophysics research with ROTSE data. SMU operates an Undergraduate
Research Assistantships (URA) program, which provides matching funds to encourage SMU undergraduate
participation in campus research programs.
Aceves is currently supported by a MURI-ARO grant W911NF-11-0297 ($269K for the period 08/1107/16) to study Light filamentation science. His funds include 1 month summer support and support for one
graduate student. A second project currently recommended for funding is a 3 year NSF collaborative IDR
grant to begin 09/11. The topic the study of novel photonic materials and devices based on Non-Hermitian
optics.If awarded, funds will be soley committed to support one graduate student and travel.
Daniel Reynolds receives research funding primarily from DOE and NSF. DOE award DE-FC0206ER25785 (˜$80K/year), and a new award as part of the FASTMath SciDAC Institute (˜$70K/year),
support research into general parallel algorthms for nonlinear and linear equation solvers and time integration software. NSF awards OCI-0832662 (travel support) and AST-1109008 (˜$20K/year), along with a 2011
DOE INCITE award (35 million CPU-hours), support research on large-scale parallel solvers for cosmological
radiation transport. In addition, Reynolds and collaborators in the Math department have been selected to
receive a DOD DURIP award (˜$140K) to support parallel computing research and education at SMU. A
second award in support of parallel computing research and education at SMU is pending to the NSF MRI
program (˜$310K).
August 22, 2011 11:44
6. Facilities, Equipment and Other Resources
See information in the Project Description.
43
44August
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