Neutrino and Dark Matter Physics


 


The Neutrino and Dark Matter Group at MIT is more than just about neutrinos, or dark matter. The consortium of four faculty members (Conrad, Formaggio, Perez and Winslow) are focused on understanding the properties of some of the most elusive particles in the Universe, both to strengthen our understanding of the Standard Model and to push its boundaries. The group is involved in understanding questions regarding the scale and nature neutrino mass and the origins of the matter/anti-matter asymmetry in the universe. It is involved in particles from terrestrial sources and from the cosmos. Their means and methods involve instruments that hover above the atmosphere and that live many miles below the Earth’s surface. They range in size from complete ice sheaths to detectors that fit in the palm of your hand.

To find out more, check out the following links:

right arrow The Conrad Research Group
       (MiniBooNE and MicroBooNE, IceCUBE, IsoDAR and DAEδALUS)
right arrow The Formaggio Group
       (KATRIN, Project 8, Ricochet)
right arrow The Winslow Group
       (CUORE, KamLAND-Zen, ABRACADABRA, NuDOT)
cuore experiment

CUORE cryostat, in Gran Sasso, Italy

Faculty and Principal Investigators

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Research and Academic Staff

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Administrative, Support, and Technical Staff

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Students

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Physicists Remotely Sense Radioactive Decay to Probe Fundamental Forces and Particles


The Project 8 and He6-CRES collaborations use a new technique to set an upper limit on neutrino mass and prepare to test the nature of the weak force.

Image: Electrons emitted in radioactive beta decay in a magnetic field create radio waves or microwaves...

Closing in on the Elusive Neutrino


Project 8 marks a major milestone in its quest to measure neutrino mass

Cyclotron Radiation Emission Spectroscopy (CRES), seen here, is the key to a totally new method that aims to pin down the mass of the elusive neutrino.

Daniel Winklehner's Article - Page 14


The IsoDAR Cyclotron and Neutrino Production Target

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Commons:Wiki Science Competition 2021/Winners/United States

IceCube Neutrino Laboratory at night by John Hardin. (Astronomy) The ICL during the South Pole winter.


Sastrugi at dawn by John Hardin. (General Category) A sastrugi, a snow feature formed by wind erosion, that formed over winter at the South Pole.

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Daniel Winklehner received the 2022 DPF Instrumentation Early Career Award

For the development of new accelerator technology enabling an order of magnitude increase in the current delivered from a compact proton cyclotron. This work was carried out using artificial intelligence techniques and has enabled the realization of the IsoDAR experiment that will play a decisive role in the search for sterile neutrinos.

Daniel Winklehner

November, 2022


A new upper limit on the mass of neutrinos

Researchers with the KATRIN experiment determine that neutrinos are lighter than 0.8 eV/c2.

In this view of the KATRIN experiment's main spectrometer, a large metal portal opens to the interior of a large vacuum vessel.

February 14, 2022


3 Questions: Investigating a long-standing neutrino mystery

Graduate student Nicholas Kamp describes the MicroBooNE experiment and its implications for our understanding of fundamental particles.

Lindley Winslow

October 28, 2021


Is the Great Neutrino Puzzle Pointing to Multiple Missing Particles?

Years of conflicting neutrino measurements have led physicists to propose a “dark sector” of invisible particles — one that could simultaneously explain dark matter, the puzzling expansion of the universe, and other mysteries.

News image

October 28, 2021


MicroBooNE Results

MicroBooNE's Search for the Low Energy Excess.

MicroBooNE image

October 27, 2021


Liu and Winslow named American Physical Society Fellows for 2021

APS names Hong Liu, Lindley Winslow MIT’s newest fellows for their contributions to physics.

Hong Liu and Lindley Winslow

October 18, 2021


Measuring the Invisible

Particle physicist Lindley Winslow seeks the universe’s smallest particles for answers to its biggest questions.

Lindley Winslow

March 24, 2021


Pulling the secrets of dark matter out of a hat

Grad student Chiara Salemi and Professor Lindley Winslow use the ABRACADABRA instrument to reveal insights into dark matter.

Chiara Salemi

December 2, 2020


Can a quantum strategy help bring down the house?

Study finds quantum entanglement could, in principle, give a slight advantage in the game of blackjack.

Illustration - Cards

August 3, 2020


Lindley Winslow, One of MIT School of Science professors receives tenure for 2020

Professors earn tenure in the departments of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Chemistry, Mathematics, and Physics.

Lindley Winslow

July 7, 2020


Kerstin Perez, One of Ten Early-Career Physicists

Junior faculty in experimental particle physics and astrophysics talk about how they got into physics, their favorite parts of the experimental process and how they spend their time outside the lab.

Kerstin Perez

November 26, 2019


Four from MIT named American Physical Society Fellows for 2019

Matthew Evans, Joseph Formaggio, Markus Klute, and Anne White are named MIT’s newest APS fellows for their contributions to physics.

2019 APS Fellows

September 20, 2019


3Q: Scientists shave estimate of neutrino’s mass in half

Joseph Formaggio explains the discovery that the ghostly particle must be no more than 1 electronvolt, half as massive as previously thought.

KATRIN’s spectrometer, shown here, precisely measures the energy of electrons emitted in the decay of tritium, which has helped scientists come closer to pinning down the mass of the ghost-like neutrino.

September 16, 2019


Dark matter experiment finds no evidence of axions

In its first run, ABRACADABRA detects no signal of the hypothetical dark matter particle within a specific mass range.

Illustration of MIT’s new axion detector

March 29, 2019


Not your Standard Model physicist

Professor Janet Conrad is on a quest to find the elusive “ghost” particle—and turn physics on its head.

Janet Conrad

October 23, 2018


Four Honored with School of Science Teaching Prizes

Moitra, O’Gorman, Perez, and Minicozzi were nominated by students and colleagues for demonstrating excellence in instruction.

SoS Teaching Prize Winners

August 20, 2018


Paying it Forward: Fellowship Boosts Women in Physics

Four students are first beneficiaries of grant program established by Assistant Professor Lindley Winslow with support from the Heising-Simons Foundation.

Recipients of a grant from the Heising-Simons Foundation

August 2, 2018


New Study Again Proves Einstein Right

Most thorough test to date finds no Lorentz violation in high-energy neutrinos.

IceCube Lab

July 16, 2018


3Q: Janet Conrad on the First Detection of a Neutrino’s Cosmic Source

The “ghostly particle” is confirmed to have originated from a blazar, nearly 4 billion light years from Earth.

Illustration of neutrino interacting with molecule

July 13, 2018


3 Questions: Pinning Down a Neutrino’s Mass

KATRIN experiment investigates the ghostly particle.

KATRIN Detector

June 8, 2018


Scientists Report First Results from CUORE Neutrino Experiment

Data could shed light on why the universe has more matter than antimatter.

Bottom view of the 19 CUORE towers installed in the cryostat

March 26, 2018