Daniel Snowden-Ifft

Daniel Snowden-Ifft is a Professor of Physics at Occidental College, where he has served on the faculty since 1997. His office is located in the Hameetman Science Center 115, and he maintains regular office hours on Mondays and Wednesdays from 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM.

Education:

• B.A., Swarthmore College
• M.A., UC Berkeley
• Ph.D., UC Berkeley

With over two decades of dedicated research in dark matter physics, Professor Snowden-Ifft pioneered the ancient mica detection technique before shifting focus to directional detection methods. His current experimental work centers on producing dark matter in electron accelerator beam dumps (including potential use of SLAC's facilities) and detecting it using a novel negative ion time projection chamber he developed. This research bridges particle physics, nuclear astrophysics, and advanced detector instrumentation, with significant emphasis on WIMP (Weakly Interacting Massive Particle) identification through directional signatures.

Analysis of his recent publications (2014-2018) reveals a concentrated research trajectory in directional dark matter detection through the DRIFT collaboration. Key themes include precision measurement of nuclear recoil head-tail signatures, background suppression techniques (particularly for radon and neutrons), fiducialization methods, and innovative beam-dump experimental designs. His work demonstrates consistent advancement in lowering detection thresholds while improving directional sensitivity, establishing critical methodological frameworks for next-generation dark matter searches.

Professor Snowden-Ifft leads the DRIFT detector development program at Occidental College, maintaining active collaborations with SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory and Jefferson Lab. His research group focuses on both detector hardware innovation and data analysis techniques for directional dark matter signatures, contributing significantly to the international effort in direct dark matter detection.