Postdoctoral Fellow on the nEXO Experiment

One postdoctoral position is available immediately to work with the Enriched Xenon Observatory (EXO) group at Laurentian University (Sudbury, Ontario). The successful candidate will focus research efforts on R&D for the next-generation experiment nEXO. The Particle Astrophysics Group at Laurentian provides a dynamic environment and maintains very strong interactions with researchers at nearby SNOLAB, where nEXO intends to be located.

The EXO program searches for neutrino-less double beta decay in ¹³⁶Xe. EXO–200, a 100-kg class detector filled with enriched liquid xenon, has successfully finished data-taking in 2018 at the WIPP underground site in New Mexico. EXO–200 measured the 2νββ transition rate with the highest precision of all 2νββ nuclei and probed the 0νββ transition rate down to an effective neutrino mass close to 100 meV. EXO–200 also informs the design of the 5-tonne nEXO detector, with a planned sensitivity on the effective neutrino mass covering the inverted hierarchy.

The successful candidate will take leading roles in one or more of these areas:

• characterization of the photomultipliers for the nEXO outer detector;
• simulations and physics potentials of nEXO;
• analysis of EXO-200 data;
• R&D on isotopic xenon enrichment.

Candidates must hold a recent Ph.D. degree in experimental particle or nuclear physics at the time of appointment. Demonstrated experience is required in detector development, simulation and/or data analysis. It is expected that the candidate will be familiar with high energy physics tools such as ROOT and/or GEANT4.

The initial appointment will be for two years, with possible extension. Applicants should forward a Curriculum Vitæ and a statement of research interests, by email only, and arrange for three reference letters to be sent directly to:

Prof. Caio Licciardi (clicciardi@snolab.ca)
Department of Physics, Laurentian University
935 Ramsey Lake Road, Sudbury Ontario, P3E 2C6 Canada
Tel: +1-705-675-1151 ext 2309

Laurentian University and Arthur B. McDonald Institute are committed to equity in employment and encourages applications from all qualified applicants including women, aboriginal peoples, members of visible minorities, and persons with disabilities.

 Review of applications will begin March 13, 2019 and will be accepted until the position is filled.

PDF version here

Looking for Graduate Students

Graduate Studies in Astroparticle Physics

Prof. Caio Licciardi invites applications from students interested in pursuing a M.Sc. in Physics or Ph.D. in Materials Science at the Department of Physics at Laurentian University.

The department is engaged in intensive research in Particle Physics and Medical Physics. The local Particle Astrophysics Group has strong ties with SNOLAB, a 2-km underground science laboratory. SNOLAB is the original site of the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory (SNO) experiment, recognized in the 2015 Nobel Prize for Physics. In addition, Laurentian is a member of the newly created Canadian Particle Astrophysics Research Centre. Exploiting these advantages, we are able to ensure that each student receives world-class education, and become well prepared for a future in the academia or industry.

One of the most outstanding problems yet to be understood is that of the properties of the neutrinos. Recent observations proved that neutrinos have mass, which has implications in several areas from cosmology to elementary particle physics. In particular, this may shed light in the origin of the Universe. Assigning mass to neutrinos allows the possibility for these particles to be their own antiparticles. The most sensitive probe to this nature of the neutrino is searching for neutrinoless double beta decay, a hypothetical mode in which two electrons are emitted with no neutrinos. Our group has a leading participation in the Enriched Xenon Observatory (EXO), both in the successful EXO-200 detector and in the design of the nEXO experiment. EXO-200 has made the first observation of the two-neutrino double beta decay in Xe-136, holding its most precise measurement, and has limits to the neutrinoless mode placed among the world’s best.

Thesis work includes a combination of physics analysis, detector operations, and development of hardware techniques within the EXO program. Ph.D. students are expected to take responsibility for project components. A scholarship is included for the successful applicants.

Please visit here for information about how to apply. For more information about the EXO research program contact any of:

Dr. Caio Licciardi, clicciardi@laurentian.ca
Dr. Jacques Farine, farine@snolab.ca
Dr. Ubi Wichoski, uwichoski@laurentian.ca

PDF file announcement

Summer 2018 Research Jobs

Summer research positions are open for undergraduate students in Physics, Computer Science, Chemistry and Engineering. Projects are available on the CUTE and SuperCDMS, DEAP, EXO-200/nEXO, HALO, NEWS_G, PICO and SNO+ experiments.

Topics include: computer programming for modeling/simulation, statistical data analysis, hardware development and testing, low background radio-assays, material purification, calibration and particle detection techniques.

For more information please see this announcement and/or contact tine@snolab.ca until March 1st.