Richard J Gaitskell

Richard J Gaitskell is the Hazard Professor of Physics at Brown University, where he joined the faculty in 2001. He serves as head of the Particle Astrophysics Group, which is part of the Cosmology and Astrophysics Program at Brown. Gaitskell is a PI and Co-spokesperson of the LUX (Large Underground Xenon dark matter experiment) and was the first spokesperson for the LUX-ZEPLIN Collaboration. His research group is actively involved in the development and operation of detectors capable of detecting dark matter particle interactions, with a focus on liquid xenon-based technology.

Dr. Gaitskell received his PhD in Physics from Oxford University in 1993 and his BA from Oxford University in 1985. Prior to joining Brown, he held positions as a Faculty Senior Lecturer at University College London, a Fellow at the Center for Particle Astrophysics in UC Berkeley, a Visiting Scholar at Stanford University, and a Prize Fellow at Magdalen College, Oxford.

Professor Gaitskell's research focuses on the direct detection of dark matter, specifically searching for Weakly Interacting Massive Particles (WIMPs). His group operates the LUX experiment at the Sanford Underground Laboratory in South Dakota, which is considered the world's most sensitive dark matter detector. His work involves sophisticated techniques to reduce natural radioactivity that would otherwise mask the dark matter signal. His research team continues to develop alternative photodetection techniques to improve quantum efficiency and reduce intrinsic radioactivity in detectors.

His publications show a consistent focus on advancing dark matter detection technologies, with recent work centered on the LUX experiment, its technical development, and results analysis. His research spans detector design, background reduction techniques, data acquisition systems, and simulation methods for low-background experiments.

• Elected Fellow of American Physical Society (2011)
• Outstanding Junior Investigator, Department of Energy, High Energy Physics (2003-)
• Center Fellowship, Center for Particle Astrophysics, UC Berkeley (1995-00)
• Lindemann Fellowship, The Lindemann Trust Committee (1995)
• Fellowship by Examination, Magdalen College, Oxford (1993-95)

While specific student advising information isn't detailed in the provided text, Professor Gaitskell has received significant research funding from the Department of Energy for his work on dark matter detection. His research group has been involved in multiple major international collaborations including LUX, LUX-ZEPLIN, CDMS II, and XENON experiments. These projects represent multi-million dollar investments in cutting-edge physics research.

Gaitskell leads the Particle Astrophysics Group at Brown University, which maintains close connections with the Sanford Underground Laboratory in South Dakota where the LUX experiment is housed. His group has also developed the Soudan Low Background Counting Facility (SOLO) at the Soudan Mine, demonstrating their expertise in low-background measurement techniques essential for dark matter detection.