Pappalardo Fellows

JOSHUA SPITZ
Pappalardo Fellow in Physics: 2011-2014

Area of Physics:

Experimental Nuclear and Particle Physics

Research Interests

Joshua Spitz is interested in experimental particle and astroparticle physics. He is involved in carefully measuring the properties of the neutrino, one of nature's fundamental particles, and trying to understand the role of the neutrino in the evolution of the universe. Josh is also interested in the direct detection and eventual description of dark matter. Although dark matter makes up approximately 23% of the mass-energy density of the universe, it has never been directly detected on Earth and its properties remain largely elusive. Detection technologies for neutrino and direct dark matter experiments share many common aspects and Josh works at the intersection of these subjects.

Biographical Sketch

Josh grew up in Denver, Colorado, and graduated summa cum laude in physics (with a double major in astronomy) from the University of Colorado at Boulder. He recently completed his Ph.D. dissertation with Prof. Bonnie Fleming at Yale University. Currently, Josh is involved in carefully measuring the properties of the neutrino, one of nature's fundamental particles, and trying to understand the role of the neutrino in the evolution of the universe.

Selected Publications

• A Sterile Neutrino Search with Kaon Decay-at-rest, J. Spitz, Physical Review D 85 093020 (2012).
• First Test of Lorentz Violation with a Reactor-based Antineutrino Experiment, Y. Abe et al. [Double Chooz Collaboration], Physical Review D 86 112009 (2012).
• Proposal for an Electron Antineutrino Disappearance Search Using High-Rate 8Li Production and Decay, A. Bungau et al. Physical Review Letters 109 141802 (2012)
• Measuring Active-to-Sterile Neutrino Oscillations with Neutral Current Coherent Neutrino-Nucleus Scattering, A.J. Anderson et al. Physical Review D 86 013004 (2012).
• First Measurements of Inclusive Muon Neutrino Charged Current Differential Cross Sections on Argon, C. Anderson et al. [ArgoNeuT Collaboration], Physical Review Letters 108 161802 (2012).
• Coherent Neutrino Scattering in Dark Matter Detectors, A.J. Anderson, J.M. Conrad, E. Figueroa-Feliciano, K. Scholberg,  and J. Spitz, Physical Review D 84 013008 (2011).
• Atmospheric Tau Neutrinos in a Multi-kiloton Liquid Argon Detector, J. Conrad, A. de Gouvea, S. Shalgar, and J. Spitz, Physical Review D 82 093012 (2010).

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