William Detmold

Professor of Physics
Graduate Program Faculty Coordinator
Interests are in strong interaction dynamics in theoretical particle and nuclear physics.
Research Areas
Strong Interactions and Nuclear Theory
(617) 324-6181
Office: 6-303
Lab(s): http://wdetmold.mit.edu
Affiliated Center(s): Center for Theoretical Physics, Laboratory for Nuclear Science
Assistant: Scott Morley

Research Interests

Professor Detmold’s research interests are in strong interaction dynamics in theoretical particle and nuclear physics. Detmold uses analytic methods and supercomputers to solve the complex equations of quantum chromodynamics (QCD) that describe the strong interaction and seeks to understand the emergence of hadrons and nuclei from the underlying Standard Model of particle physics. He aims to determine the properties and interactions of these systems from first principles to confront experiment and to make predictions for regimes such as in the interior of neutron stars where experiments are not possible.

In Search of Dark Matter at the MIT Center for Theoretical Physics
Video by Bill Lattanzi | MIT Center for Theoretical Physics

Biographical Sketch

Professor Detmold obtained his PhD from the University of Adelaide, Australia and joined the MIT physics faculty in 2012, following previous appointments at the College of William and Mary and the University of Washington. Professor Detmold is a Fellow of the American Physical Society.

In the news
In the news

Exploring the quantum field, from the sun’s core to the Big Bang

Theoretical physicist William Detmold unlocks the mysteries of quarks, gluons, and their “strong interactions” at the subatomic level.

Awards & Honors

  • 2016 // Fellow, American Physical Society "For pioneering work in calculating few-body hadronic systems from first principles using lattice quantum chromodynamics, including the spectrum of the light nuclei and hypernuclei, Bose-condensed multimeson systems, and the first inelastic nuclear reaction."
  • 2013 // Early Career Research Program Award, Department of Energy
  • 2009 // Outstanding Junior Investigator Award, Department of Energy Office of Nuclear Physics

Key Publications

  • Shanahan PE, Trewartha D, Detmold W. “Machine learning action parameters in lattice quantum chromodynamics.”Phys.Rev.D 97 (2018) 9, 094506

  • Savage MJ, Shanahan PE, Tiburzi BC, et al. “Proton-Proton Fusion and Tritium $\beta$ Decay from Lattice Quantum Chromodynamics.” Phys. Rev. Lett.. 2017;119:062002.

  • Beane SR, Chang E, Detmold W, et al. “Ab initio Calculation of the np→dγ Radiative Capture Process.” Phys. Rev. Lett.. 2015;115:132001.