Mengjiao Xiao (University of Maryland) "Probing the Nature of the Universe from the Chinese Underground Experiments"

Abstract:
Despite the tremendous success of the Standard Model (SM) of particle physics, it becomes more and more clear that the SM is far from complete. For example, the non-zero neutrino mass was the first solid evidence beyond the SM, but we still do not understand why neutrinos are so light, and if they are their own anti-particles. We know that the mass of the universe is dominated by dark matter, but we do not understand the nature of the dark matter. Exploring these unknowns may lead to fundamental science discoveries and deepen our understanding of the universe.
Due to their feeble interactions with normal matter, both neutrinos and dark matter are studied under low background environment in underground laboratories. This area of research is booming in China with a few underground facilities in operation or under construction. The first half of my talk will introduce the Jiangmen Underground Neutrino Observatory (JUNO), an experiment aiming to determine the neutrino mass ordering and to precisely measure oscillation parameters using a large liquid scintillator detector. I will then discuss the PandaX project, a series of experiments using dual-phase xenon for dark matter direct detection in the China Jin-Ping underground Laboratory.
Bio:
Mengjiao Xiao, Ph.D. of Shanghai Jiao Tong University in 2016, now is postdoc at University of Maryland, College Park. Working on PandaX and JUNO experiment.