Brad Plaster, Assistant Professor of Physics
University of Kentucky
Department of Physics and Astronomy
Lexington, KY 40506-0055
brad.plaster AT uky DOT edu

CV: [pdf]
Point Cabrillo, Mendocino, CA
December 2011


Research with Ultracold Neutrons

The unifying theme of my research program in experimental nuclear physics concerns low-energy, high-precision measurements of fundamental symmetries (Parity, Time-Reversal) with ultracold neutrons (UCN).  At present I am involved in a new search for the Time-Reversal-Symmetry-violating neutron electric dipole moment (EDM) at the Spallation Neutron Source at Oak Ridge National Laboratory.  The discovery of a neutron EDM would provide unambiguous evidence for new beyond-Standard-Model physics, and could potentially provide insight into the mechanism responsible for the generation of the matter-antimatter asymmetry of the universe.  I am also involved in precision measurements of angular correlation coefficients in spin-polarized neutron beta-decay using the UCN source in operation at the Los Alamos National Laboratory.  These experiments determine fundamental parameters of the weak interaction, and contribute to a global program of low-energy tests of the Standard Model.

I have technical interests in large-scale Monte Carlo simulation and data analysis techniques, magnetic fields, and magnetic shielding.


Research Group

Current:
Ph.D. Students: Michael Brown, Nima Nouri, Hasan Syed

Past:
Postdoctoral Scholar: Haiyang Yan
M.S. Student: Susan Malkowski (M.S. awarded December 2011)
Undergraduate Students: Ramesh Adhikari, Cameron Mattie, Tristan Root, Daniel Woods

I am always looking to recruit motivated Ph.D. students.  Please contact me if interested.

Teaching

I have taught the following courses at the University of Kentucky thus far:


Funding

I am grateful for generous funding under the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science, Office of Nuclear Physics.


Where I've been since 1/1/08