School of Physics Faculty Search Colloquium Series- Dr. Sam Hedges

Speaker: Dr. Sam Hedges

Title: Measuring Neutrino-Nucleus Scattering with a “Supernova Neutrino Simulator”

Abstract: When the next galactic supernova occurs, an immense wave of neutrinos will pass through the Earth. These neutrinos not only provide information on the final moments of a dying star, but also reveal properties of the neutrino and can even alert astronomers to an impending supernova. While most neutrino detectors are primarily sensitive to one type of neutrino, we can use the scattering of neutrinos with nuclei to potentially observe the others. However, our experimental understanding of neutrino-nucleus interactions is limited. The Spallation Neutron Source at Oak Ridge National Laboratory provides an intense flux of neutrinos with energies similar to those produced in a supernova. The COHERENT collaboration uses this “Supernova Neutrino Simulator” to measure neutrino-nucleus scattering, improving our understanding of these interactions and enhancing our ability to decode future stellar explosions.

Bio: Sam Hedges earned his PhD from Duke University, where he studied low energy neutrino-nucleus scattering as part of the COHERENT collaboration. The focus of his thesis was on measuring neutrino interactions with lead, iron, sodium, and iodine, and on calibrating WIMP and neutrino detectors to low energy nuclear recoils. As a post-doc at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, he joined the nEXO experiment, where he worked to develop a large-scale liquid xenon test stand to study high voltage breakdown, and simulated the interaction of supernova neutrinos with xenon nuclei. He recently began a post-doc at Virginia Tech, where he is searching for dark matter with passive mineral detectors.