Energy Frontier: CMS

In 2005, I changed the focus of my research into the high-energy frontier, which allows us to investigate smallest-scale phenomena. At this scale, some of the symmetries which have been hidden at the larger scale observation are believed to be revealed. In addition, over the last decade, some physicists are speculating, in their effort to solve theoretical inconsistencies in the current theories, that there may be more than 3 spatial dimensions. And evidence for such speculation may be gleaned in the current research. Currently (2013) the experiment has collected significant amount of data (2010-2012), and their analyses have revealed that a Higgs particle exists, and it exhibits properties which are consistent with the Higgs boson predicted by the so-called Standard Model of our field. We are, however, hoping that we will find small difference between the predicted and observed Higgs when the properties are precisely measured, and they show us which of the deeper theories are valid. Read more about my students' research above.

Heavy Quark and symmetry breaking

Until 2005, I worked on physics of "heavy flavor," studying properties of "bottom" and "charm" quarks. They give rise to systems similar to hydrogen atom, but consisting of quarks instead of a proton and an electron. In hydrogen atom, the proton and the electron are bound to each other by electric force, but in the heavy quark system, they are bound by the so-called strong force or nuclear force which binds protons and neutrons in nuclei. As a result, my research was useful to study how the strong force behaves.

I grew up in Tokyo, Japan, where I received my Ph.D. After my degree, I moved to Ithaca, NY, for my post doctoral studies of "bottom" quarks. It was meant to be a three year stint in a foreign country to experience something different before I settled into Japanese society for the rest of my life. But life brings surprises. I ended up finding my wife, and established a family in the U.S.
Even though we were in love with the culture of Ithaca, NY, when I found an opportunity to start a teaching career in Minneapolis, which was described to us by one of our friends as "a big Ithaca," we jumped on it.

Here, I continued to study bottom quarks and also "charm" quark until 2005. When a chance to switch my focus to high-energy frontier was presented, I decided to take advantage of it.

With CMS, I have worked on calibration of calorimeter, production of faster data collection electronics, and various physics analysis involving searches of exotic particles that "physics theories beyond the current standard theory" predict to exist but not found.

When I started teaching at Minnesota, I knew nothing about classroom culture of the U.S., but since then, the University has provided me with opportunities to learn about how to be a better teacher in American classrooms. My wife, Susan, is an excellent teacher, though not in physics, and artist, and has given me a lot of great ideas about teaching. This has been a rewarding learning experience, and I hope to grow further as a teacher as well as as a mentor to graduate students.

Education

Ph.D., Tokyo University, 1981

M.S., Tokyo University, 1978

B.S., Tokyo University, 1976

Professional Background

• DGS, Physics Program, 2004-2010
• Project leader for the Electromagnetic Calorimeter project for the BTeV experiment, 2000-2005
• Review of Babar Construction Project, 1995-97

Honors and Awards

McKnight Land Grant Professor

Selected Publications

1. CMS Collaboration, Searches for long-lived charged particles in pp collisions at √s =7 and 8 TeV, JHEP 07 (2013) 122 [abstract]
2. CMS Collaboration, Search for heavy long-lived charged particles in pp collisions at SQRT(s) = 7 TeV, Phys. Lett. B713 (2012) 408-433 [abstract]
3. CMS Collaboration, Search for the standard model Higgs boson decaying into two photons in pp collisions at √s=7 TeV, Phys. Lett. B710 (2012) 403-425
4. CMS Collaboration, Search for Heavy Stable Charged Particles in pp collisions at SQRT(s) = 7 TeV, J. High Energy Phys. 1103 (2011) 024 [abstract]
5. CMS Collaboration, Search for a Heavy Neutrinos and WR Bosons with Right-handed Couplings in a Left-right Symmetric Model in pp collisions at SQRT(s) = 7 TeV, Phys. Rev. Lett. 109 (2012) 261802 [abstract]
6. CMS Collaboration, Measurement of the Muon Stopping Power in Lead Tungstate, Journal of Instrumentation 5 P03007 (2010)
7. G.S. Huang et al., “Measurement of B(Y(5S)®Bs(*)Bs(*) using f Mesons”, Phys. Rev. (2007)
8. O. Aquines et al., “Measurements of the Exclusive Decays of the Y(5S) to B Meson Final States and Improved Bs* Mass Measurement”, Phys. Rev. Letters (2006)
9. R. Ahohe et al., “The Search for h(1440)®KSK+π- in Two-Photon Fusion at CLEO”, Phys. Rev. Letters (2005)
10. Rubin et al., “Observation of the 1P1 State of Charmonium”, Phys. Rev. Letters (2005)
11. Rosner et al., “Observation of the hc(1P1) State of Charmonium”, Phys. Rev. Letters (2005)
12. G. Brandenburg et al., Measurement of the D+ -> K*0 l+ neutrino Branching Fraction, Physical Review Letters 89, 222001 (2002).
13. G. Brandenburg et al., Measurement of the Mass, Total Width, and Two-Photon Partial Width of the hc Meson, Physical Review Letters 85, 3095 (2000).
14. B.H. Behrens et al., Measurement of the B to rho-lepton-neutrino Decay and Vub, Physical Review D61, 052001 (2000).
15. J. Bartelt et al., Measurement of the B to D-lepton-neutrino Branching Fraction and Form Factor, Physical Review Letters 82, 3746 (1999).
16. J. Gronberg et. al., Light Pseudoscalar Mesons at Large Momentum Transfer, Physical Review D57, 33 (1998)