ULRICH J. BECKER, Professor
of Physics
Research Interests
Professor Becker's research interests include:
- Experimental high energy physics
- How matter is created from energy
- "Periodic System" behind the masses of leptons and
quarks
- The role of force carriers / the related Vector mesons: photon,
rho, omega, phi, J…….Z0
- Is there Anti-Matter left from the big bang? What particles
constitute Dark Matter?
Starting at DESY, Hamburg, Germany, Professor Becker's research
first focused on the complex nature of the photon. He showed that
all Vector–mesons behave like heavy photons, i.e., display
diffraction and convert back to (virtual) photons. In search for
more of such spin =1 particles, he was involved in the discovery
of the J particle, which started the field of "charmed"
matter and later evidence for the Gluon.
Presently, Prof. Becker primarily works on the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer
(AMS), searching for Anti- and Dark matter from space using a TRD
to isolate positrons. He also develops new particle detectors for
the next Linear Collider, using the MIT Cyclotron as a magnet.
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Biographical Sketch
Professor Becker studied GeV photon interactions for his Ph.D.,
received in 1968 from the University of Hamburg, Germany. He joined
MIT in 1969 as an Assistant Professor and designed a precision spectrometer
for an experiment at Brookhaven National Laboratory, discovering
the J particle. Professor Becker was promoted to Associate Professor
in 1973 and full Professor in 1984.
[top] Selected Publications
"AMS-01: First Flight, First Results, Future AMS-02,"
U. Becker, High Light Plenary Talk XXVI ICRC, Salt Lake City (1999),
335.
"Understanding the Impact of Additives with Large Inelastic
Cross Sections on Drift Chamber Performance," E.Fortunato,
U.Becker et al., NIM A335 (1999), 439.
"Determination of the Number of Light Neutrino Species from
Single Photon Production at LEP," Phys.Lett. B 431 (1998),
199.
"Discovery of Three–Jet Events and Test of QCD at PETRA,"
Phys.Rev.Lett. 43, 12 (1979), 830.
"Experimental Observation of a Heavy Particle J," Phys.Rev.Lett.
33,23 (1974), 1404.
"Experimental Test of the Vector Dominance Model," Phys.Rev.Lett.
20,5 (1968) 227.
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