Anson HookView profile
Associate Professor
Anson Hook is an Associate Professor in the Department of Physics at the University of Maryland. He holds the Richard A. Ferrell Distinguished Faculty Fellowship and is affiliated with the Maryland Center for Fundamental Physics. Hook's research focuses on theoretical particle physics, particularly theories beyond the Standard Model, dark matter phenomenology, and cosmological model building. His work includes analyzing particle physics signatures at colliders and designing experiments to detect dark matter candidates like axions and dark photons. Hook earned his Ph.D. in Physics from Stanford University (2012), followed by postdoctoral research at the Institute for Advanced Study and Stanford. He joined the University of Maryland faculty in 2018. He teaches advanced courses such as Physics 851 (Advanced Quantum Field Theory) and Physics 624 (Advanced Quantum Mechanics). His research interests span axion physics, dark matter detection strategies, gravitational wave cosmology, and early universe models. Notable contributions include studies of axion-dark photon interactions, CMB spectral distortions, and experimental proposals using ultra-high Q cavities. Hook's work bridges particle physics theory with cutting-edge experimental techniques, aiming to uncover new physics beyond the Standard Model. Key awards include the Richard A. Ferrell Distinguished Faculty Fellowship. His research group collaborates on initiatives like the Dark SRF cavity experiment and contributes to international efforts like the Muon Collider white paper. Future work emphasizes gravitational wave probes of fundamental physics and precision tests of dark sector interactions.
