Research

My interest in astroparticle physics lies in the exploration of the fundamental connections between the cosmos and the subatomic world. In an ironic but fascinating way, to understand the light, we look for the dark; to understand the large, we look at the small; and to understand what's above, we go below.

Dark Matter

Dark matter, so named because it does not interact electromagnetically, is estimated to make up 27% of the matter in the universe. Cosmological evidence for the existence of dark matter from gravitational observations has existed since the 1930s. However, the nature of dark matter is still unknown. One popular candidate is the weakly interacting massive particle (WIMP). Bubble chambers are one type of detector being used to search for WIMPs, using jars filled with superheated liquid. As WIMPs pass through the liquid, they have a small but non-zero probability of interacting with atoms in the liquid and depositing energy, causing the formation of a bubble. One major challenge, however, is that other non-dark matter particles also cause the formation of bubbles, meaning the bubble chamber's internal and external backgrounds must be well-understood in order to be confident in the potential detection of a dark matter interaction.

Underground Muons

Cosmic rays are continuously bombarding the Earth and can interact with particles in the Earth's atmosphere to produce, among many other types of particles, muons. Muons are massive and long-lived, meaning they can penetrate matter multiple kilometres before decaying. This is important for rare-event searches like dark matter and neutrino experiments, because, as muons travel underground, they can interact with the rock to produce neutrons, and the detection signatures of these neutrons often fall exactly within the range of the expected dark matter or neutrino signals. Detectors are typically installed under mountains or in mines to shield from these muon-induced backgrounds, and they rely on accurate muon flux estimations in order to determine effective shielding strategies from them, especially in cases of future experiments, where background estimates from data are not yet available.

MUTE

MUTE (MUon inTensity codE) is an open-source modular Python program used to calculate atmospheric muon fluxes and intensities underground. It makes use of the state-of-the-art codes MCEq and daemonflux, to calculate surface fluxes, and PROPOSAL, to simulate the propagation of muons through rock and water. MUTE can perform calculations for laboratories under mountains or flat overburdens, taking into account the location of the lab and the density and composition of the rock above the lab. It can then provide labs with a full definition of the muon spectrum underground, including the muon intensity, flux, energy spectrum, angular distribution, and seasonal variation.

Philosophy of Science

Although science has served humanity for centuries as a method of uncovering empirical truths about nature and the universe, there are natural limitations to the scientific method and some questions and concepts that science is not equipped to address. Beyond studying the physical interactions of the world with physics, the philosophy of science can provide a more complete understanding of the ontological structure of the universe and the nature of the reality we experience. Moreover, studying the philosophy of science can help make clear the role science plays as a way of knowing and how science itself shapes our world, particularly in the context of scientism. By integrating scientific knowledge with philosophical reflection, the intersections of science with decision-making in government, social development, and the scope of artificial intelligence, amongst many other important topics, can be explored.