Dr Thomas Dealtry
Senior Research AssociateResearch Interests
My research is focused on experimental neutrino physics. I am interested in measuring neutrino oscillation parameters to high precision, which will lead to knowing why the Universe isn't equal parts matter and anti-matter, in other words, why we exist.
I currently spend most of my time working on the Hyper-K experiment. This is a proposed neutrino and proton decay experiment, due to start taking data in ~2026. In order to access the low-energy physics efficiently, without wasting a lot of storage and computing power on detector noise (expensive!), dedicated low-energy triggers must be designed. I am currently studying using a mix of spatial, temporal, and calorimetric distributions of photo-detector hits to create and assess new triggers.
For my PhD, I worked on the T2K experiment, studying long-baseline neutrino oscillations. T2K produces a beam of neutrinos, predominately of muon neutrino flavour. By measuring the beam at 280 m from the source, uncertainties in the neutrino beam constituants and energy spectrum, and neutrino interaction rates are constrained. Measuring the beam again, at 295 km from the beam source, we see that most of the muon neutrinos have disappeared; some have oscillated into electron neutrinos (which we can see) and others have oscillated into tau neutrinos (invisible in the detector). I measured two parameters that control the muon neutrino disapperance probability, with world-leading precision on θ23.
I am a founding member of the VALOR neutrino fit group, and have, in addition to muon neutrino disappearance at T2K, worked on sensitivity studies for Hyper-K.
I have also worked on the DUNE experiment. DUNE, like Hyper-K, is a proposed neutrino and proton decay experiment due to start taking data in ~2026, complimentary to Hyper-K. The 35-ton detector, a prototype for DUNE, was designed to test a new cryostat design, liquid argon purity, and the detector readout. I worked in the data acquisition group to write the readout software for the GPS clock, external counters and trigger decision unit, and was one of the first scientists to run the detector.
Thesis Title
A precision measurement of νμ disappearance in the T2K experiment
Hyper-Kamiokande Oscillation Physics
Invited talk
Hyper-Kamiokande Neutrino Beam Oscillation Sensitivities
Invited talk
Hyper-Kamiokande beam physics
Public Lecture/ Debate/Seminar
Hyper-Kamiokande beam physics
Public Lecture/ Debate/Seminar
Hyper-Kamiokande
Invited talk
Hyper-Kamiokande
Public Lecture/ Debate/Seminar
Triggering Water Cherenkov Detectors
Invited talk
T2K and HK future near and intermediate detectors
Invited talk
XXVII International conference on neutrino physics and astrophysics
Participation in conference -Mixed Audience
The ~billion dollar experiments: Hyper-Kamiokande & DUNE (Seminar @ Lancaster University)
Invited talk
IoP HEPP & APP 2016
Participation in conference -Mixed Audience
NuSTEC Training in Neutrino Nucleus Scattering Physics
Participation in workshop, seminar, course
NuInt2014 - 9th International Workshop on Neutrino-Nucleus Interactions in the Few-GeV Region
Participation in conference -Mixed Audience
NuPhys2013
Participation in conference -Mixed Audience
UK HEP Forum 2013 - Quarks & Leptons
Participation in workshop, seminar, course
Latest oscillation results from T2K (Seminar @ PPD, RAL STFC)
Invited talk
IoP HEPP & APP 2013
Participation in conference -Mixed Audience
Internation neutrino summer school 2012
Participation in workshop, seminar, course
IoP HEPP & APP 2012
Participation in conference -Mixed Audience
STFC HEP summer school 2011
Participation in workshop, seminar, course
Co-recipient of Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics
Prize (including medals and awards)
- Experimental Particle Physics