Professor Neil Spooner
Department of Physics and Astronomy
Emeritus Professor
n.spooner@sheffield.ac.uk
+44 114 22 24422
+44 114 22 24422
E23, Hicks Building
Full contact details
Professor Neil Spooner
Department of Physics and Astronomy
E23
Hicks Building
Hounsfield Road
Sheffield
S3 7RH
Department of Physics and Astronomy
E23
Hicks Building
Hounsfield Road
Sheffield
S3 7RH
- Profile
-
- Head of Particle Physics for 15 years, now 65 people, 13 acads, 4-fold growth since I started
- PI for 5 STFC Consolidated Grants; current group active grants £8.9M, CG £3.8M, ~1.8M/yr
- Total grant income as PI over 15 years >£25M
- Group cited by STFC as best PP group in UK for industrial outreach and impact
- Founder of spin-out company Durridge (UK) Ltd.
- Founder of Sheffield Neutron Beam scattering facility ~£800K new build
- Founder of the Boulby Underground Lab and PI for the Palmer Lab construction ~£3.1M
- Co-Founder of IOP Particle Astrophysics Committee
- Award winning course using reverse learning and clickers - “Dark Matter and the Universe”
- Extensive international peer reviewing; currently on top Canadian SAPES committee, Italian INFN Gran Sasso Science Committee, US NSF committees – 15 days/year all expense paid
- Have given >100 expense-paid invited talks – e.g. this year: IOP-HEPP keynote on Dark Matter and expense-paid seminars in Kobe, Tokyo, Frascati, Melbourne, Seoul, Chicago
- Founder & chair of seminal conference series Identification of Dark Matter now in 20th Year (currently organising this in Sheffield for July 2016, 250 attendees expected)
- 10 years as head of department research committee, responsible for RAE2008, REF inputs, Science Faculty Research Committee
- Chair of Inter-faculty Projects on Security and Climate Change, spin-out from particle physics
- Supervisor of 21 PhDs including Dan Tovey now elect-head of ATLAS physics
- Extensive experience of grant earning including EU, MRC, Leverhulme, EPSRC, STFC, Industry
- Extensive experience as chair of large international consortia, e.g. chief scientist of EU Framework 6 ILIAS, co-founder of F7 LAGUNA major EU projects
- Currently chairing CYGNUS international dark matter collaboration – 20 institutes
- Responsible for delivery of main hardware component of the SBND neutrino project at Fermilab
- Research interests
-
Dark Matter: I was a pioneer of dark matter direct detection techniques, the first to demonstrate simultaneous detection of phonons and ionisation in silicon at mK temperatures and the first to seriously explore nuclear recoil direction sensitive techniques. This has developed into the DRIFT experiment and the new CYGNUS global consortium that I chair. I led the NAIAD dark matter experiment that was an early world-leader in the field. I was founder of the UK’s Boulby Underground Laboratory and PI of the first major investment there, the Palmer Lab. Current research activity focuses on long-standing efforts in Particle Astrophysics towards discovery of WIMP dark matter by direct search experiments, in particular through the DRIFT-CYGNUS directional programme and use of Boulby and other deep underground facilities. This includes, directional data analysis, R&D on gas TPCs, low background efforts on radon and surface contamination, design and operation of large directional WIMP search devices. Efforts are also underway with the DM-ICE scintillator-based annual modulation at the South Pole using trail detectors built by us.
Neutrino Physics: I was a UK pioneer in liquid argon technology for neutrino detection and have lead group efforts on liquid argon detectors for long baseline neutrino physics, DUNE, SBND, ArgonCUBE. Key work is on development of GEM readout technology and work on cosmic background simulations, also relevant to proton decay and astrophysical neutrinos.
Detector Technology spin-out: I lead a group activity in developing particle physics technology for societal benefit. This includes large projects on muon tomography for carbon sequestration, work on muon propagation simulations and cosmic ray induced backgrounds. Also nuclear security application using neutron imaging technology and developments for medical PET/SPECT.
Underground Physics and Low Background: As original founder of the Boulby underground site I am active developing low background underground physics. Notable is new work on radon mitigation and ultra-sensitive detection. I am director of the spin-out company Durridge Ltd. spun-out from this.
- Publications
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Show: Featured publications All publications
Featured publications
Journal articles
- Low Threshold Results and Limits from the DRIFT Directional Dark Matter Detector. Astroparticle Physics, 91, 65-74. View this article in WRRO
- First search for a dark matter annual modulation signal with NaI(Tl) in the Southern Hemisphere by DM-Ice17. Physical Review D, 95(3). View this article in WRRO
- First background-free limit from a directional dark matter experiment: Results from a fully fiducialised DRIFT detector. Physics of the Dark Universe, 9-10, 1-7. View this article in WRRO
All publications
Journal articles
- Construction of precision wire readout planes for the Short-Baseline Near Detector (SBND). Journal of Instrumentation, 15(06).
- Design and performance of a 35-ton liquid argon time projection chamber as a prototype for future very large detectors. Journal of Instrumentation, 15(03). View this article in WRRO
- Study of cosmogenic radionuclides in the COSINE-100 NaI(Tl) detectors. Astroparticle Physics, 115, 102390-102390. View this article in WRRO
- A search for solar axion induced signals with COSINE-100. Astroparticle Physics, 114, 101-106. View this article in WRRO
- Long-baseline neutrino oscillation physics potential of the DUNE experiment. The European Physical Journal C, 80(10).
- Author Correction: An experiment to search for dark-matter interactions using sodium iodide detectors. Nature, 566(7742), E2-E2.
- Passive, continuous monitoring of carbon dioxide geostorage using muon tomography. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences, 377(2137). View this article in WRRO
- An experiment to search for dark-matter interactions using sodium iodide detectors. Nature, 564(7734), 83-86. View this article in WRRO
- The COSINE-100 data acquisition system. JOURNAL OF INSTRUMENTATION, 13. View this article in WRRO
- Photon detector system timing performance in the DUNE 35-ton prototype liquid argon time projection chamber. Journal of Instrumentation, 13(06). View this article in WRRO
- Background model for the NaI(Tl) crystals in COSINE-100. The European Physical Journal C, 78(6). View this article in WRRO
- Performance of 20:1 multiplexer for large area charge readouts in directional dark matter TPC detectors. Journal of Instrumentation, 13(02). View this article in WRRO
- Initial performance of the COSINE-100 experiment. The European Physical Journal C, 78(2). View this article in WRRO
- Muon detector for the COSINE-100 experiment. Journal of Instrumentation, 13(02). View this article in WRRO
- Characterisation of large area THGEMs and experimental measurement of the Townsend coefficients for CF 4. Journal of Instrumentation, 12(10). View this article in WRRO
- Demonstration of radon removal from SF 6 using molecular sieves. Journal of Instrumentation, 12(09). View this article in WRRO
- Low Threshold Results and Limits from the DRIFT Directional Dark Matter Detector. Astroparticle Physics, 91, 65-74. View this article in WRRO
- Cryogenic CMOS cameras for high voltage monitoring in liquid argon. Journal of Instrumentation, 12(03). View this article in WRRO
- First search for a dark matter annual modulation signal with NaI(Tl) in the Southern Hemisphere by DM-Ice17. Physical Review D, 95(3). View this article in WRRO
- Readout technologies for directional WIMP Dark Matter detection. Physics Reports, 662, 1-46. View this article in WRRO
- First measurement of nuclear recoil head-tail sense in a fiducialised WIMP dark matter detector. Journal of Instrumentation, 11. View this article in WRRO
- Measurement of muon annual modulation and muon-induced phosphorescence in NaI(Tl) crystals with DM-Ice17. Physical Review D, 93(4). View this article in WRRO
- Simulation of muon radiography for monitoring CO 2 stored in a geological reservoir. International Journal of Greenhouse Gas Control, 42, 644-654. View this article in WRRO
- First background-free limit from a directional dark matter experiment: Results from a fully fiducialised DRIFT detector. Physics of the Dark Universe, 9-10, 1-7. View this article in WRRO
- Reducing DRIFT backgrounds with a submicron aluminized-mylar cathode. Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment, 794, 33-46. View this article in WRRO
- Summary of the second workshop on liquid argon time projection chamber research and development in the United States. Journal of Instrumentation, 10(07), T07006-T07006. View this article in WRRO
- Cryogenic Gaseous Photomultiplier for position reconstruction of liquid argon scintillation light. Journal of Instrumentation, 10. View this article in WRRO
- Muon-induced background to proton decay in the p→K+ν decay channel with large underground liquid argon TPC detectors. Physics Letters B, 746, 44-47. View this article in WRRO
- Background Assay and Rejection in DRIFT. Physics Procedia, 61, 130-137. View this article in WRRO
- First data from DM-Ice17. Physical Review D, 90(9). View this article in WRRO
- Radon in the DRIFT-II directional dark matter TPC: emanation, detection and mitigation. Journal of Instrumentation, 9(11). View this article in WRRO
- Long-term study of backgrounds in the DRIFT-II directional dark matter experiment. Journal of Instrumentation, 9(7). View this article in WRRO
- The mass-hierarchy and CP-violation discovery reach of the LBNO long-baseline neutrino experiment. Journal of High Energy Physics, 2014(5). View this article in WRRO
- Scientific Opportunities with the Long-Baseline Neutrino Experiment. SLAC-econf. View this article in WRRO
- LAr1-ND: Testing Neutrino Anomalies with Multiple LAr TPC Detectors at Fermilab. 2013 Community Summer Study on the Future of U.S. View this article in WRRO
- The 2010 Interim Report of the Long-Baseline Neutrino Experiment Collaboration Physics Working Groups. FERMILAB-FN-0941-PPD.
- Monitoring subsurface CO
2 emplacement and security of storage using muon tomography. International Journal of Greenhouse Gas Control, 11, 21-24.
- A search for the dark matter annual modulation in South Pole ice. Astroparticle Physics. View this article in WRRO
- Spin-dependent limits from the DRIFT-IId directional dark matter detector. Astroparticle Physics, 35(7), 397-401. View this article in WRRO
- Optical Readout Technology for Large Volume Liquid Argon Detectors. Nuclear Physics B - Proceedings Supplements Volume 215, Issue 1 (2011) Pages 255–257. Nuclear Physics B. View this article in WRRO
- Optical readout technology for large volume liquid argon detectors. Nuclear Physics B - Proceedings Supplements, 215(1), 255-257.
- Optical readout of liquid argon ionisation. Journal of Physics: Conference Series, 308(1).
- DM: a ton-scale LAr detector for direct Dark Matter searches. J. Physics. View this article in WRRO
- Modelling electroluminescence in liquid argon. J INSTRUM, 5.
- The expected background spectrum in NaI dark matter detectors and the DAMA result. ASTROPART PHYS, 33(2), 91-96.
- THE CASE FOR A DIRECTIONAL DARK MATTER DETECTOR AND THE STATUS OF CURRENT EXPERIMENTAL EFFORTS. INT J MOD PHYS A, 25(1), 1-51.
- First results on light readout from the 1-ton ArDM liquid argon detector for dark matter searches. Journal of Instrumentation, 5(11).
- Simulations of the nuclear recoil head-tail signature in gases relevant to directional dark matter searches. Astroparticle Physics, 34(5), 284-292.
- Simulations of the nuclear recoil head-tail signature in gases relevant to directional dark matter searches. Astroparticle Physics.
- Development of wavelength shifter coated reflectors for the ArDM argon dark matter detector. J INSTRUM, 4.
- First measurement of the head-tail directional nuclear recoil signature at energies relevant to WIMP dark matter searche. ASTROPART PHYS, 31(4), 261-266.
- Optical readout tracking detector concept using secondary scintillation from liquid argon generated by a thick gas electron multiplier. Journal of Instrumentation, 4(4). View this article in WRRO
- Low energy electron and nuclear recoil thresholds in the DRIFT-II negative ion TPC for dark matter searches. J INSTRUM, 4.
- Measurement of the range component directional signature in a DRIFT-II detector using Cf-252 neutrons. NUCL INSTRUM METH A, 600(2), 417-423.
- Measurements of neutrons produced by high-energy muons at the Boulby Underground Laboratory. ASTROPART PHYS, 29(6), 471-481.
- Measurement of the quenching factor of Na recoils in NaI(Tl). J INSTRUM, 3.
- The ZEPLIN II dark matter detector: Data acquisition system and data reduction. NUCL INSTRUM METH A, 587(1), 101-109.
- Measurements and simulations of muon-induced neutrons. Proceedings of Science.
- Characterisation of a silicon photomultiplier device for applications in liquid argon based neutrino physics and dark matter searches. Journal of Instrumentation, 3(10).
- Track reconstruction and performance of DRIFT directional dark matter detectors using alpha particles. NUCL INSTRUM METH A, 584(1), 114-128.
- Studies of neutron detection and backgrounds with the DRIFT-IIa dark matter detector. ASTROPART PHYS, 28(4-5), 409-421.
- Large underground, liquid based detectors for astro-particle physics in Europe: Scientific case and prospects. Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics(11). View this article in WRRO
- First limits on WIMP nuclear recoil signals in ZEPLIN-II: A two-phase xenon detector for dark matter detection. ASTROPART PHYS, 28(3), 287-302.
- Limits on spin-dependent WIMP-nucleon cross-sections from the first ZEPLIN-II data. PHYS LETT B, 653(2-4), 161-166. View this article in WRRO
- First measurement of low intensity fast neutron background from rock at the Boulby Underground Laboratory. ASTROPART PHYS, 27(5), 326-338.
- A two-phase argon avalanche detector operated in a single electron counting mode. Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research, Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment, 574(3), 493-499. View this article in WRRO
- The ZEPLIN-III dark matter detector: Instrument design, manufacture and commissioning. ASTROPART PHYS, 27(1), 46-60.
- Direct dark matter searches. Journal of the Physical Society of Japan, 76(11).
- First operation of bulk micromegas in low pressure negative ion drift gas mixtures for dark matter searches. Astroparticle Physics, 27(6), 490-499.
- MEASUREMENT OF THE SCINTILLATION EFFICIENCY OF Na RECOILS IN NaI(Tl) DOWN TO 10 keV NUCLEAR RECOIL ENERGY RELEVANT TO DARK MATTER SEARCHES. The Identification of Dark Matter.
- The ZEPLIN-III dark matter detector: Performance study using an end-to-end simulation tool. ASTROPART PHYS, 26(2), 140-153.
- Low-energy neutron propagation in MCNPX and GEANT4. NUCL INSTRUM METH A, 560(2), 454-459.
- GridPP: Development of the UK computing Grid for particle physics. Journal of Physics G: Nuclear and Particle Physics, 32(1).
- The DRIFT-II dark matter detector: Design and commissioning. NUCL INSTRUM METH A, 555(1-2), 173-183.
- Veto performance for large-scale xenon dark matter detectors. NUCL INSTRUM METH A, 548(3), 418-426.
- Simulations of neutron background in a time projection chamber relevant to dark matter searches. NUCL INSTRUM METH A, 546(3), 509-522.
- Muon-induced neutron production and detection with GEANT4 and FLUKA. Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research, Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment, 545(1-2), 398-411. View this article in WRRO
- Reduction of coincident photomultiplier noise relevant to astroparticle physics experiments. NUCL INSTRUM METH A, 545(1-2), 225-233.
- Limits on WIMP cross-sections from the NAIAD experiment at the boulby underground laboratory. PHYS LETT B, 616(1-2), 17-24. View this article in WRRO
- First limits on nuclear recoil events from the ZEPLIN I galactic dark matter detector. ASTROPART PHYS, 23(5), 444-462.
- Transmission of light in deep sea water at the site of the Antares neutrino telescope. Astroparticle Physics, 23(1), 131-155.
- Development of a Micromegas micro pattern charge readout device for use in two phase Xenon dark matter detectors. 2005 IEEE International Conference on Dielectric Liquids, ICDL 2005, 317-320.
- Directional statistics for realistic weakly interacting massive particle direct detection experiments. Physical Review D - Particles, Fields, Gravitation and Cosmology, 71(10), 1-14.
- Searches for solar Kaluza-Klein axions with gas TPCs. Astroparticle Physics, 23(3), 287-302.
- Development of a double-phase Xenon cell using micromegas charge readout for applications in dark matter physics. Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research, Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment, 554(1-3), 266-285.
- The DRIFT-I dark matter detector at Boulby: design, installation and operation. NUCL INSTRUM METH A, 535(3), 644-655.
- Neutron background in large-scale xenon detectors for dark matter searches. ASTROPART PHYS, 21(6), 667-687.
- Development of a gadolinium-loaded liquid scintillator for solar neutrino detection and neutron measurements. Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research, Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment, 522(3), 439-446.
- Review of particle physics. Physics Letters, Section B: Nuclear, Elementary Particle and High-Energy Physics, 592(1-4), 1-5.
- Low energy alphas in the drift detector. Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research, Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment, 516(2-3), 406-413.
- Measurements of muon flux at 1070 m vertical depth in the Boulby underground laboratory. NUCL INSTRUM METH A, 511(3), 347-353.
- The NAIAD experiment for WIMP searches at Boulby mine and recent results. ASTROPART PHYS, 19(6), 691-702.
- Simulations of muon-induced neutron flux at large depths underground. NUCL INSTRUM METH A, 505(3), 688-698.
- NEUTRON BACKGROUND AT BOULBY MINE. The Identification of Dark Matter. View this article in WRRO
- Sedimentation and fouling of optical surfaces at the ANTARES site. ASTROPART PHYS, 19(2), 253-267.
- First results from the DRIFT-I detector. Nuclear Physics B - Proceedings Supplements, 124, 225-228.
- Study and suppression of anomalous fast events in inorganic scintillators for dark matter searches. ASTROPART PHYS, 17(4), 401-408.
- The ANTARES optical module. Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment, 484(1-3), 369-383.
- Measurements of scintillation efficiency and pulse shape for low energy recoils in liquid xenon. PHYS LETT B, 524(3-4), 245-251.
- Review of Particle Physics: Particle data group. Physical Review D - Particles, Fields, Gravitation and Cosmology, 66(1 I), 100011-10001958.
- The scintillation efficiency of carbon and hydrogen recoils in an organic liquid scintillator for dark matter searches. ASTROPART PHYS, 16(3), 333-338.
- The UKDMC dark matter xenon programme: New WIMP limits and progress towards 1-tonne. Technique and Application of Xenon Detectors: Proceedings of the International Workshop, 68-77. View this article in WRRO
- CsI(Tl) for WIMP dark matter searches. NUCL INSTRUM METH A, 456(3), 272-279.
- Energy calibration of large underwater detectors using stopping muons. PHYS LETT B, 494(3-4), 175-180. View this article in WRRO
- Background light in potential sites for the ANTARES undersea neutrino telescope. Astroparticle Physics, 13(2-3), 127-136.
- NaI dark matter limits and the NAIAD array - a detector with improved sensitivity to WIMPs using unencapsulated NaI. PHYS LETT B, 473(3-4), 330-336.
- ZEPLIN-I: A single phase liquid Xe detector for dark matter search. IEEE Nuclear Science Symposium and Medical Imaging Conference, 1.
- Narrow muon bundles from muon pair production in rock. PHYS LETT B, 471(2-3), 251-256. View this article in WRRO
- Investigation of pulse shapes and time constants for NaI scintillation pulses produced by low energy electrons from beta decay. Physics Letters, Section B: Nuclear, Elementary Particle and High-Energy Physics, 467(1-2), 132-136.
- Characteristics of alpha, gamma and nuclear recoil pulses from NaI(Tl) at 10-100 keV relevant to dark matter searches. PHYS LETT B, 452(1-2), 167-172. View this article in WRRO
- NAIAD: an advanced sodium iodide scintillation detector with improved sensitivity to WIMP dark matter. IEEE Nuclear Science Symposium and Medical Imaging Conference, 1, 148-153.
- Measurement of scintillation efficiencies and pulse-shapes for nuclear recoils in NaI(Tl) and CaF2(Eu) at low energies for dark matter experiments. PHYS LETT B, 433(1-2), 150-155.
- Demonstration of nuclear recoil discrimination using recoil range in a mixed CaF2 plus liquid scintillator gel detector for dark matter searches. ASTROPART PHYS, 8(1-2), 13-19.
- New limits to Galactic cold dark matter interaction rates. Astroparticle Physics, 5(3-4), 249-253.
- Improved dark matter limits from pulse shape discrimination in a low background sodium iodide detector at the Boulby mine. Physics Letters, Section B: Nuclear, Elementary Particle and High-Energy Physics, 379(1-4), 299-308.
- Measurement of Na and I recoil discrimination and detection efficiency in a cooled 'UVIS' NaI crystal for dark matter searches. Astroparticle Physics, 5(3-4), 299-307.
- Measurement of Na and I recoil discrimination and detection efficiency in a cooled 'UVIS' NaI detector for dark matter searches. IEEE Nuclear Science Symposium & Medical Imaging Conference, 1, 253-257.
- Results from the first stage of a UK Galactic dark matter search using low background sodium iodide detectors. Physics Letters B, 351(1-3), 70-76.
- Bulk GaAs ionization detectors for WIMP searches. Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment, 310(1-2), 227-231.
- Observation of nuclear recoil events from neutron scattering in low temperature calorimetric detectors. Physics Letters B, 255(3), 454-458.
- Tests on low temperature calorimetric detectors for dark matter experiments. Physics Letters B, 245(2), 265-270.
- Background in escape gated detectors for hard X-ray astronomy. Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment, 248(2-3), 533-544.
- Balloon altitude studies of southern hemisphere hard X-ray sources by the Imperial College-University of Tasmania-INPE collaboration. Advances in Space Research, 3(10-12), 43-46.
- SERUM ENZYME CHANGES IN DIABETIC KETOACIDOSIS. DIABETES, 23(2), 126-131.
- REINTERPRETATION OF HYPERAMYLASEMIA IN DIABETIC COMA. CLINICAL CHEMISTRY, 20(6), 673-675.
- SERUM AMYLASE AND RELATED ENZYMES IN DIABETIC KETOACIDOSIS. JOURNAL OF CLINICAL PATHOLOGY, 26(12), 985-985.
- AUTOMATED KINETIC ASSAYS FOR ROUTINE DETERMINATION OF ADENOSINE DEAMINASE AND GUANASE ACTIVITIES OF HUMAN-SERUM. CLINICA CHIMICA ACTA, 47(1), 75-87.
- COMPARISON OF DIAGNOSTIC ACCURACY OF ALPHA-HYDROXYBUTYRATE DEHYDROGENASE ASSAYS BY 2 SPECTROPHOTOMETRIC PROCEDURES. CLINICAL CHEMISTRY, 19(12), 1387-1389.
- Search for a Dark Matter-Induced Annual Modulation Signal in NaI(Tl) with the COSINE-100 Experiment. Physical Review Letters, 123(3). View this article in WRRO
- COSINE-100 and DAMA/LIBRA-phase2 in WIMP effective models. Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics, 2019(06), 048-048. View this article in WRRO
- First Direct Search for Inelastic Boosted Dark Matter with COSINE-100. Physical Review Letters, 122(13). View this article in WRRO
- Axion Searches in the Past, at Present, and in the Near Future, 199-237.
- Directional statistics for realistic weakly interacting massive particle direct detection experiments. Physical Review D, 71(10).
- Review of Particle Properties. Physical Review D, 66(1).
- Lowering the energy threshold in COSINE-100 dark matter searches.
- Measurement of the cosmic muon annual and diurnal flux variation with
the COSINE-100 detector. View this article in WRRO
- Demonstration of ThGEM-Multiwire Hybrid Charge Readout for Directional
Dark Matter Searches. View this article in WRRO
- The COSINE-100 Liquid Scintillator Veto System. View this article in WRRO
- Comparison between DAMA/LIBRA and COSINE-100 in the light of quenching factors. Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics, 2019(11), 008-008. View this article in WRRO
- Measurement of directional range components of nuclear recoil tracks in a fiducialised dark matter detector. Journal of Instrumentation, 12(10), P10009-P10009. View this article in WRRO
- CYGNUS: Feasibility of a nuclear recoil observatory with directional
sensitivity to dark matter and neutrinos.
Chapters
- Future Neutrino Astrophysics Projects at the UK Boulby Mine, Sources and Detection of Dark Matter and Dark Energy in the Universe (pp. 532-539). Springer Berlin Heidelberg
- Status of ZEPLIN II and ZEPLIN III, Dark Matter in Astro- and Particle Physics (pp. 208-219). Springer-Verlag
- DRIFT and Prospects for a Large Scale Directional WIMP Detector, Dark Matter in Astro- and Particle Physics (pp. 246-253). Springer-Verlag
Conference proceedings papers
- CYGNUS. Journal of Physics: Conference Series, Vol. 1468. Toyama, Japan, 9 September 2019 - 13 September 2019.
- CYGNO a CYGNUs Collaboration 1 m3 Module with Optical Readout for Directional Dark Matter Search. 2018 IEEE Nuclear Science Symposium and Medical Imaging Conference Proceedings (NSS/MIC), 10 November 2018 - 17 November 2018.
- Muon tomography for carbon storage and monitoring. Springer Proceedings in Physics, Vol. 174 (pp 479-485), 8 December 2014 - 12 December 2014. View this article in WRRO
- Geological repositories: scientific priorities and potential high-technology transfer from the space and physics sectors. Mineralogical Magazine, Vol. 79(6) (pp 1651-1664)
- The Application of Muon Tomography to Carbon Storage Monitoring. Fourth EAGE CO2 Geological Storage Workshop, 22 April 2014 - 24 April 2014. View this article in WRRO
- Monitoring Subsurface CO2 Injection and Security of Storage Using Muon Tomography. 74th EAGE Conference and Exhibition incorporating EUROPEC 2012, 4 June 2012 - 7 June 2012.
- The DRIFT Directional Dark Matter Experiments. EAS Publications Series, Vol. 53 (pp 11-18) View this article in WRRO
- ArDM: a ton-scale LAr detector for direct Dark Matter searches. Journal of Physics: Conference Series, Vol. 308 (pp 012006-012006)
- Optical readout tracking detector concept for future large volume liquid argon detectors. Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment, Vol. 619(1-3) (pp 140-142)
- The ArDM experiment. Acta Physica Polonica B, Vol. 41(7) (pp 1441-1446)
- The Characteristics of Boulby as a Site for the LAGUNA Experiment. EXOTIC NUCLEI AND NUCLEAR - PARTICLE ASTROPHYSICS III: FROM NUCLEI TO STARS, Vol. 1304 (pp 320-325)
- The expected background spectrum in NaI dark matter detectors and the DAMA result. TOPICS IN ASTROPARTICLE AND UNDERGROUND PHYSICS (TAUP2009), Vol. 203
- Optical readout of secondary scintillation from liquid argon generated by a thick gas electron multiplier. Journal of Physics: Conference Series, Vol. 179
- ZEPLIN-II limits on WIMP-nucelon interactions. SOURCES AND DETECTION OF DARK MATTER AND DARK ENERGY IN THE UNIVERSE, Vol. 1166 (pp 218-223)
- Techniques for head-tail directional recoil measurements in the DRIFT-II dark matter detector. Proceedings of Science
- Ilias and the European deep laboratories. Proceedings of the 6th International Heidelberg Conference on Dark Matter in Astroparticle and Particle Physics, Dark 2007 (pp 599-605)
- Head-tail in the DRIFT-II dark matter detector. Proceedings of the 4th Patras Workshop on Axions, WIMPs and WISPs, PATRAS 2008 (pp 103-106)
- ILIAS and the world's underground laboratories. Proceedings of Science
- FIRST MEASUREMENT OF LOW INTENSITY FAST NEUTRON BACKGROUND FROM ROCK AT THE BOULBY UNDERGROUND LABORATORY. The Identification of Dark Matter
- THE ZEPLIN III DETECTOR: RESULTS FROM SURFACE CALIBRATIONS. The Identification of Dark Matter
- The ZEPLIN III detector; Results from surface calibrations. NUCLEAR PHYSICS B-PROCEEDINGS SUPPLEMENTS, Vol. 173 (pp 108-112)
- R & D for future ZEPLIN. NUCLEAR PHYSICS B-PROCEEDINGS SUPPLEMENTS, Vol. 173 (pp 164-167)
- DRIFT: STATUS AND PROSPECTS. The Identification of Dark Matter
- Nuclear recoil limits from the ZEPLIN I liquid xenon WIMP dark matter detector. NEW ASTRONOMY REVIEWS, Vol. 49(2-6) (pp 245-249)
- Status of the ZEPLIN II experiment. NEW ASTRONOMY REVIEWS, Vol. 49(2-6) (pp 259-263)
- ZEPLIN I: FIRST LIMITS ON NUCLEAR RECOIL RATE. The Identification of Dark Matter
- LIMITS ON WIMP CROSS-SECTIONS FROM THE NAIAD EXPERIMENT AT BOULBY. The Identification of Dark Matter
- VETO PERFORMANCE FOR LARGE-SCALE XENON DARK MATTER DETECTORS. The Identification of Dark Matter
- NEUTRON BACKGROUND IN A TIME PROJECTION CHAMBER FOR WIMP SEARCHES. The Identification of Dark Matter
- Status of ZEPLIN II and ZEPLIN IV study. NUCLEAR PHYSICS B-PROCEEDINGS SUPPLEMENTS, Vol. 124 (pp 229-232)
- Recent results of the dark matter search with NaI(Tl) detectors at Boulby Mine. NUCLEAR PHYSICS B-PROCEEDINGS SUPPLEMENTS, Vol. 124 (pp 193-196)
- THE ZEPLIN II LIQUID XENON DARK MATTER DETECTOR. The Identification of Dark Matter
- FUTURE OF NON-CRYOGENIC AND DIRECTIONAL DARK MATTER DETECTORS. The Identification of Dark Matter
- STATUS OF THE BOULBY UNDERGROUND LABORATORY. The Identification of Dark Matter
- LATEST RESULTS FROM ZEPLIN I, A LIQUID XENON DETECTOR FOR DARK MATTER SEARCHES AT THE BOULBY MINE. The Identification of Dark Matter
- NaIAD EXPERIMENT FOR WIMP SEARCH AT BOULBY MINE AND RECENT RESULTS. The Identification of Dark Matter
- Neutrino astroparticle physics at Boulby Mine. NUCLEAR PHYSICS B-PROCEEDINGS SUPPLEMENTS, Vol. 110 (pp 423-425)
- THE SIREN SOLAR NEUTRINO EXPERIMENT. The Identification of Dark Matter
- Limits on WIMP Dark Matter. International Europhysics Conference on High Energy Physics (hep2001) View this article in WRRO
- PRESENT STATUS AND FUTURE PLANS OF THE BOULBY UNDERGROUND LABORATORY. The Identification of Dark Matter
- Current Status of the DRIFT Project and UKDMC Dark Matter Search (pp 590-597)
- UKDMC DARK MATTER SEARCH WITH INORGANIC SCINTILLATORS. The Identification of Dark Matter
- SCINTILLATION CHARACTERISTICS FOR LOW ENERGY RECOILS IN LIQUID XENON: PRELIMINARY RESULTS. The Identification of Dark Matter
- Progress on the Boulby Mine Dark Matter Experiments (pp 365-377)
- Progress report from the UK Dark Matter search at Boulby mine. NUCLEAR PHYSICS B-PROCEEDINGS SUPPLEMENTS, Vol. 87 (pp 64-66)
- Dark matter search at Boulby Mine. DARK MATTER IN ASTROPHYSICS AND PARTICLE PHYSICS 1998 (pp 780-784)
- The CASPAR recoil discrimination detector for WIMP searches with calcium and fluorine. NUCLEAR PHYSICS B-PROCEEDINGS SUPPLEMENTS, Vol. 70 (pp 111-113)
- Current limits on the cold dark matter interaction cross section obtained by the UK collaboration. NUCLEAR PHYSICS B-PROCEEDINGS SUPPLEMENTS, Vol. 70 (pp 74-78)
- Dark matter experiments at the UK Boulby Mine UK Dark Matter Collaboration. Physics Report, Vol. 307(1-4) (pp 275-282)
- New limits on the WIMP Cold Dark Matter interaction cross section from the UK experiment. COSMO-97: FIRST INTERNATIONAL WORKSHOP ON PARTICLE PHYSICS AND THE EARLY UNIVERSE (pp 172-178)
- New dark matter limits from the Boulby NaI detectors. Nuclear Physics B - Proceedings Supplements, Vol. 19(1) (pp 64-66)
Preprints
- A Proposal for a Three Detector Short-Baseline Neutrino Oscillation Program in the Fermilab Booster Neutrino Beam. View this article in WRRO
- The Single-Phase ProtoDUNE Technical Design Report. View this article in WRRO
- US Cosmic Visions: New Ideas in Dark Matter 2017: Community Report. View this article in WRRO
- The DRIFT Dark Matter Experiments. View this article in WRRO
- Long-Baseline Neutrino Facility (LBNF) and Deep Underground Neutrino
Experiment (DUNE) Conceptual Design Report Volume 1: The LBNF and DUNE
Projects. View this article in WRRO
- Long-Baseline Neutrino Facility (LBNF) and Deep Underground Neutrino
Experiment (DUNE) Conceptual Design Report, Volume 4 The DUNE Detectors at
LBNF. View this article in WRRO
- Long-Baseline Neutrino Facility (LBNF) and Deep Underground Neutrino
Experiment (DUNE) Conceptual Design Report Volume 2: The Physics Program for
DUNE at LBNF. View this article in WRRO
- The Long-Baseline Neutrino Experiment: Exploring Fundamental Symmetries
of the Universe. View this article in WRRO
- The DRIFT Project: Searching for WIMPS with a Directional Detector. View this article in WRRO
- Low Threshold Results and Limits from the DRIFT Directional Dark Matter Detector. Astroparticle Physics, 91, 65-74. View this article in WRRO
- Research group
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Supervisions
I have supervised a total 21 PhD students and 24 post-doctorates. Many now have academic careers.I am currently supervising 4 PhD students and 2 RAs.
- Grants
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Leadership in multi-group, international programmes and of the Sheffield Particle Physics group:
- 2000-2016: PI for 5 Sheffield Particle Physics, STFC rolling grants and consolidated grants for ATLAS, T2K, MICE, DUNE, Hyper-K and dark matter experiments - responsible for 13 academics and 65 total staff (e.g. 2015 CG is £3.8M) total accumulated >£25M.
- 1999-2012: PI for (and founder of) the Boulby Underground Facility Palmer Laboratory with 1500 m2 underground space at 1.1 km dept (e.g. JIF award, 2000-2005, £3.1M)
- 2000-2012 Leader of large dark matter group - av. 3 academics, 1-5 PDRAs, 4 PhDs; PI for group's R&D and DRIFT dark matter experiment (e.g. award 2002-2009 ~£0.4M/yr)
- 1999-2016: European/UK PI for the DRIFT dark matter experiment - now 6 institutes (£0.1M/yr)
- 2010-2014: co-PI, co-founder EU FP7 design study LAGUNA-LBNO (€4.8M, total) - 40 institutes, 11 countries, WP coordinator (UK award €0.5M)
- 2011-2014: PI Project Deep Carbon – carbon sequestration monitor (inter-faculty award ~£0.2M)
- 2011-2013: PI DRIFT dark matter (US NSF award via Occidental College ~0.1M)
- 2012-2015: PI Project NIFT – neutron imaging for security (Leverhulme Trust ~£0.1M)
- 2012-2015: Co-PI, instigator – carbon sequestration DECC programme (DECC award ~£1.5M)
- 2012-2015: PI Project Liquid Argon/LBNO, within PP CG award (STFC ~ £0.15M)
- 2012-2016: PI Business Fellowship ISP (STFC/University award ~ £0.2M)
- 2014-2016: PI MRC medical imaging with liquid argon (“POC award” ~ £50K)
- 2015-2017: PI UK-DUNE APA grant (STFC ~ £250K), multiple STFC bridging grants
Total Grant Income as PI since 2001 ~£25M
- Teaching interests
-
I teach on the following undergraduate courses:
- Interstellar Medium
- Cosmology
- Experimental Particle Physics
- Dark Matter and the Universe
- Nuclear Physics
- Waves
- Professional activities and memberships
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Outreach:
- 2015-16: IOP invited talks on dark matter and neutrinos, Durham, QMUL (audience ~150) 2013-15: AstroSoc talks: Manchester, Huddersfield, Doncaster, Falmouth…(total audience ~250)
- 2013: Invited talk, British Association for Advancement of Science " Dark Matter" (audience 200)
- 2012: Invited talk, Cheltenham Science Festival "Hunting for Dark Matter" (audience 600)
- 2011: Chair EU outreach film on underground science
- 2010: Presentation with European Vice President, VIPs and at the Boulby Laboratory LAGUNA day
- 2009: Author, Boulby Underground Laboratory Brochure; chair of Palmer Lab naming ceremony
- 2004-2008: Chair, joint European Deep Laboratories outreach programme in FP7 ILIAS (€300K)
- 2005-2007: Major Outreach Award (PPARC) with U. Durham - schools material on Boulby (£100K)
- TV work: e.g. for BBC TV “Steven Hawking’s Universe”, “Horizon", Channel 4 TV "The Universe"
- Radio: e.g. for national BBC Radio 4 “Science Now”, “Today Programme”, "Cosmic Quest"
- Media: e.g. for Sunday Times, Financial Times, Sunday Telegraph, Telegraph and local press
- Politicians: talks to three UK science ministers, UK chief scientist and deputy prime minister (2014)
Spin out, industry and interdisciplinary activity:
- 2012-2016: Co-PI, instigator – Carbon Sequestration DECC programme (DECC award ~£1.5M)
- 2012-2016: PI Business Fellowship ISP (STFC/University ~ £300K)
- 2011-2015: PI “Deep Carbon” muon tomography to monitor deep CO2 storage, £200K award
- 2012-2015: PI Project NIFT neutron imaging for security (Leverhulme Trust ~£0.1M)
- 2008-2010: PI deep underground geo-engineering (AAE Ltd., CPL), £100K EU/AAE Ltd. award 2006-2011: PI neutron portal detectors for nuclear security (Corus Ltd.), PhD student
- 2007-2001: Neutron security detectors (UK Home Office) awarded us ~£250K; anti-terrorism detectors (EPSRC) awarded £900K for neutron security imaging project
- 2007-2009: PI, Chair of University’s interdisciplinary business network on Crime and Security Detectors awarded two year University Business Research Fellow post (£100K)
- Record of engagement and leadership in large European integrated actions and FP6/7 projects: ILIAS, ILIAS-NEXT, ASPERA, LAGUNA, LBNO, DUNE (2005-)
- Chair of Departmental Research Strategy Committee (2008-)
- Founder UK Institute of Physics Astroparticle Physics Committee (2007-)
- UK/EU particle physics advisory boards, multiple international review committees
International leadership and research recognition:
- Awarded PPARC Senior Research Fellowship (2002-2006) - these are prestigious awards with only a few given covering the whole UK area of particle physics, astrophysics, space and nuclear physics
- Head of University of Sheffield Particle Physics and Particle Astrophysics group for 15 years
- Chair, founder and Editor of the conference series "Identification of Dark Matter" IDM96, IDM98…. IDM2010 – most recently held in Amsterdam IDM2014 (200-300 participants), next in Sheffield 2016
- PI for, founder of, the Boulby Underground Laboratory, grant holder for the £3.1M Palmer Laboratory
- Elected Chief Project Scientist of ILIAS (EU Particle F6 project - 1000 scientists, 23 institutions). This was a major Integrated Action project that united the 4 big underground laboratories of Europe
- Founding member of European ApPEC panel to build FP EU bids in Astroparticle Physics
- Chair of EU Underground Laboratory Network ILIAS-N2 (2003-2008)
- Elected chair of European dark matter network in ILIAS-NEXT FP7 proposal (2008)
- co-PI, co-founder (of 3 people) EU FP7 neutrino physics design study LAGUNA (21 institutes) funded
- co-PI, EU FP7 neutrino physics design study LAGUNA-LBNO (40 institutes) funded
- Sub-editor (dark matter) Particle Physics data book (2006-2008)
- co-Author book "Particle Dark Matter" (CUP, 2009)
- Chair CYGNUS dark matter global directional dark matter consort (Australia US, UK, Japan, France..)
- Institute boards of LBNE, DUNE, SBND, CYGNUS, member Fermilab RDNEC committee
- UK-PI DM-ICE dark matter South Pole consortium and COSINE collaboration
International scientific refereeing and editorials boards:
- NSERC (Canada) member of SAPES subatomic physics evaluation committee (this is the highest level committee in Canada covering particle and nuclear physics funding).
- Member Gran Sasso Underground Laboratory Scientific Committee (Italy, INFN), chair Borexino panel
- NSERC (Canada) SNOLAB science review panel (DEEP, SNO+ review panels)
- Invited only non-US citizen on NSF (USA) Committee of Visitors (CoV) science review committee
- Invited non-US citizen on NSF (USA) S4 DUSEL science review committee
- International representative on NSF S3 panel that made final selection of Homestake as site for US $500M national underground laboratory DUSEL
- DSG (Germany) trans-regio science panel
- Editorial Board of the Journal Adv. in High Energy Phys.: paper reviews for Astroparticle Physics IEEE, Physical Rev. Lett., Nuclear Instruments and Methods and others
- Currently writing book for Cambridge University Press “Dark Matter and the Universe”
- Outreach
- TV: BBC TV “Steven Hawking’s Universe”, “Horizon", Channel 4 TV "The Universe"
- Radio: BBC Radio 4 “Science Now”, “Today Programme”, "Cosmic Quest"
- Media:Sunday Times, Financial Times, Sunday Telegraph, Telegraph and local press
- Politicians: talks to three UK science ministers, UK chief scientist and deputy prime minister (2014)
- 2015-16: IOP invited talks on dark matter and neutrinos, Durham, QMUL (audience ~150) 2013-15: AstroSoc talks: Manchester, Huddersfield, Doncaster, Falmouth…(total audience ~250)
- 2013: Invited talk, British Association for Advancement of Science " Dark Matter" (audience 200)
- 2012: Invited talk, Cheltenham Science Festival "Hunting for Dark Matter" (audience 600)
- 2011: Chair EU outreach film on underground science
- 2010: Presentation with European Vice President, VIPs and at the Boulby Laboratory LAGUNA day
- 2009: Author, Boulby Underground Laboratory Brochure; chair of Palmer Lab naming ceremony
- 2004-2008: Chair, joint European Deep Laboratories outreach programme in FP7 ILIAS (€300K)
- 2005-2007: Major Outreach Award (PPARC) with U. Durham - schools material on Boulby (£100K)