Research Description
Neutrinos are the most mysterious type of particle in the universe. They are notoriously difficult to detect due to their feeble interactions with matter. Because of this, basic questions such as the number of neutrino types and the way that neutrinos become massive are largely unknown.
Daniel Carney is developing a radically new platform to measure radioactive decays that produce neutrinos using mechanical sensors operated in a quantum mechanical regime. His team implants radioactive atoms into the mechanical device, surrounds this with an electron detector, and then measures each radioactive beta decay event by event. This information can be used to search for new heavy neutrinos, and could provide a path toward measurement of the mass of the currently known light neutrinos.
Research Impact
Dr. Carney is hoping to impact the field of neutrino physics by taking a novel approach to their measurement using a new, small, robust platform based on quantum sensing technology. These techniques will pave the way to substantially increase our understanding of the types and masses of neutrinos in nature, providing crucial information about these mysterious particles.
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related links
Experimental Physics Investigators Initiative 
Science
University of California, Berkeley Department of Physics
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