The group is currently focused on searches for evidence of dark gauge bosons. These
would serve as channels of communication between dark matter and normal matter. Other
topics of interest to the group include precision measurements of the decay
properties of Upsilon mesons.
Profiles in Research
Banafsheh Ferdousi - Search for Dark Scalars
Banafsheh is a an SMU graduate student pursing her Masters degree
by conducting a search for a dark gauge boson sector. Her thesis, and her work, are targeted for
completing in winter, 2011.
Landon Banister - Search for Dark Scalars
Landon is an SMU Hamilton Scholar, engaged in undergraduate research on the BaBar Experiment.
He is searching for evidence of dark gauge bosons using the BaBar dataset. This work is targeted
for publication in winter, 2011.
Matthew Rispoli - Tomography of the BaBar Experiment
Matthew engaged in undergraduate research on the BaBar Experiment in 2009-2010, supported
by the SMU URA program.
He developed data-driven methods for imaging the BaBar Experiment. Beginning with
hands-on study of photon conversions, and moving now to nuclear processes which can help
pinpoint the location of material in the experiment, Matthew's work focused on
imaging benchmarks using photon conversions, and then moved onto imaging via
atomic scattering (and displaced vertices due to ejected atomic electrons) using
Bhabha events as a "beam" of electrons and positrons. He presented his work at
the 2010 BaBar Physics Analysis Jamboree in Cincinnati, OH.