Welcome to the NIAMPP Lab!

Our Mission

Our lab is dedicated to advancing the understanding of the laws governing the Universe by learning from particle interactions. Thanks to precision measurements in particle physics, many discoveries have been possible, and new neutrino oscillation experiments can explain still-open questions, such as the antisymmetry observed in matter/antimatter, to ultimately answer how it is possible we exist.

We are members of the SBND (Short Baseline Near Detector) and ICARUS (***) collaborations as part of the SBN (Short Baseline Neutrino) program at Fermilab, USA. SBN searches for the existence of new particles, such as neutrino steriles, and other new physics beyond the Standard Model (BSM) in addition to performing high-resolution neutrino-nucleus cross-section measurements. As part of our efforts to control and mitigate uncertainties, we are members of the EMPHATIC collaboration (****) to measure new hadron production data to constrain the main systematics in neutrino physics, those related to neutrino production.

Our efforts to understand neutrino physics as a portal to new physics extend to collaboration with nuclear theorists who develop first-principles models to describe neutrino-nucleus interactions. We collaborate with the GiBUU (****) research team in Germany, developing systematic uncertainties to characterize the accuracy of the renowned GiBUU model. We are pioneering these efforts and successfully implemented GiBUU for the first time as an event generator in an experiment.

By developing innovative data analysis methods and precisely estimating and constraining systematic uncertainties, we work towards discovery and high-precision measurements in particle physics. We strive to push the boundaries of knowledge through cutting-edge research, collaboration, and technological innovation.

Research Focus

  • Neutrino Physics: Investigating the fundamental properties of neutrinos, including their mass hierarchy, oscillations, sterile neutrino searches, and interaction mechanisms.
  • Hadron Physics: Measuring hadron interactions in fixed target to constraint fluxes in neutrino physics and other Beyond the Standard Model searches.
  • Precision detector characterization: Designing and implementing methods to precisely characterize and estimate uncertainties in detector response to improve the sensitivity and accuracy of neutrino detection.
  • Data Analysis: Developing cutting-edge data analysis techniques to interpret complex experimental data.
  • Theoretical Models: Collaborative effort with theory groups to implement and test theoretical models to explain observed phenomena and predict new physics beyond the Standard Model.

Our Team:

  • Assistant Professor Dr. Raquel Castillo Fernández, Group Leader.
  • Postdoctoral Researcher Dr. Leónidas Aliaga Soplín.
  • Graduate Student Ms. Shweta Yadav.
  • Graduate Student Mr. Manuel Dall’Olio.
  • Graduate Student Mr. Francisco Tapia.
  • Undergraduate Student Ms. Megan Ponds.
  • Undergraduate Student Mx. Jasper Gustafson.
  • Undergraduate Student Declan Quinn.

Collaborations

We collaborate, as members of large-scale experiments, with leading research institutions and particle physics laboratories worldwide, such as Fermilab in the USA.

Current Projects

  • SBN: The Short Baseline Neutrino program at Fermilab*****.
    • SBND: The SBN program’s near detector is the Short Baseline Near Detector, SBND. Its goal is to ****.
    • ICARUS: The IMAGING ***.
  • EMPHATIC: *****.
  • GiBUU Systematics: *****
  • NuSTEC: ****

Publications

Our team regularly publishes findings in leading scientific journals. Visit our Publications Page to explore our latest research papers and articles.

Join Us

We are always looking for talented and motivated individuals to join our team. If you are interested in contributing to groundbreaking research in particle physics, check out our Opportunities Page for current openings and application information.

Contact Us

For more information about our research, collaborations, or opportunities, please contact us at:

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