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Tomonori Ikeda
QUP Postdoctoral Fellow
e-mailikedat-at-post.kek.jp
What is dark matter? I am an experimental physicist deeply interested in uncovering the true nature of dark matter. In my doctoral program, I dedicated to the NEWAGE experiment at the Kamioka Observatory, where I contributed to WIP dark matter search experiments using a gas detector. I am also strongly interested in cosmic MeV gamma-ray observations, which still need a lot more sensitive observation. Since 2020, I have been involved with the SMILE experiment at Kyoto University, where I have worked on developing an electron-tracking Compton camera. At QUP, I am gearing up to hunt for new particles using ultra-ow temperature detectors.
Research Content
In 2011, the discovery of the Higgs boson significantly advanced the standard model of particle physics. However, this model still faces challenges, particularly the “strong CP problem,” where we do not observe the expected violation of charge-parity symmetry in strong interactions. To address this, scientists have proposed the existence of axions, a potential new type of particle that might be emitted by iron isotopes in the sun. My experiment focuses on detecting these axions.
The process involves axions being absorbed by an iron isotope and subsequently emitting a mono-energy X-ray. Our detector , the X-ray TES calorimeter, developed at QUP, is exceptionally suited for this task due to its high energy resolution of 2.8 eV at 5.9 keV. This precision allows us to effectively capture signals from axions, aiding in their potential discovery.
Related Research Results
https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevD.108.123013
https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevD.105.102004
