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Neutrinos

Neutrinos

Neutrinos are light, electrically-neutral elementary particles that make up the least-understood part of the Standard Model of particle physics. Facilities like DUNE (the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment) study neutrinos produced in the Fermilab collider as well as neutrinos arriving from cosmic events. Project 8 will measure neutrino mass by looking at neutrinos emitted when tritium decays. The CMB Stage 4 telescopes will use cosmological data to constrain the number of neutrinos and their mass. Many other neutrino facilities focus on detecting neutrinos produced in astrophysical processes, including ANITA, ARA, BEACON, GRAND, IceCube, PUEO, and RNO-G. These cosmic neutrinos can carry key information, along with electromagnetic radiation and gravitational waves, in "multi-messenger" detections of dynamic events in the universe.

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Name Role Affiliations Email Phone Office Centers Research topics
Julien Alfaro Julien Alfaro Graduate Student Physics jpa5771@psu.edu +1 814 865 7533 204 Osmond Laboratory CMA, IGC Cosmic Rays, Multimessenger Astrophysics, Neutrinos
Tyler Anderson Tyler Anderson Faculty Physics tba109@psu.edu +1 814 865 2013 212A Osmond Laboratory CMA Cosmic Rays, Dark Matter, Multimessenger Astrophysics, Neutrinos
Mukul Bhattacharya Mukul Bhattacharya Postdoc Astronomy, Physics mmb5946@psu.edu 320A Osmond Laboratory CMA Cosmic Rays, Gravitational Waves, Multimessenger Astrophysics, Neutrinos
Carlos Blanco Carlos Blanco Faculty ICDS, Physics carlosblanco@psu.edu +1 814 865 7533 303K Osmond Laboratory CFT, CMA, CTOC, IGC Cosmic Rays, Dark Matter, Multimessenger Astrophysics, Neutrinos
Carmen Carmona Benitez Carmen Carmona Benitez Faculty Physics mzc267@psu.edu +1 814 865 6476 320D Osmond Laboratory CMA Dark Matter, Neutrinos
Jose Carpio Dumler Jose Carpio Dumler Graduate Student Physics jac866@psu.edu +1 814 865 7533 CMA Dark Matter, Multimessenger Astrophysics, Neutrinos
Douglas Cowen Douglas Cowen Faculty Physics dfc13@psu.edu +1 814 863 5943 303D Osmond Laboratory CMA Multimessenger Astrophysics, Neutrinos, Dynamic Universe
Abhishek Das Abhishek Das Graduate Student Astronomy, ICDS, Physics ajd6518@psu.edu 321E Thomas Building CMA, IGC Black Holes, Cosmic Rays, Dark Matter, Gravitational Waves, Multimessenger Astrophysics, Neutrinos, Quasars
Kayla DeHolton Kayla DeHolton Postdoc Physics kld5938@psu.edu 303A Osmond Laboratory CMA Neutrinos
Derek Fox Derek Fox Faculty Astronomy dbf11@psu.edu +1 814 863 4989 425 Davey Laboratory CMA, CTOC Multimessenger Astrophysics, Neutrinos, Dynamic Universe
Reagen Garcia Reagen Garcia Graduate Student Physics rgarcia@psu.edu --- 114 Osmond Laboratory CMA Neutrinos
Eduardo Gutiérrez Eduardo Gutiérrez Postdoc Physics exg5366@psu.edu +1 814 863 9605 301B Whitmore Laboratory IGC Black Holes, Cosmic Rays, Gravitational Waves, Multimessenger Astrophysics, Neutrinos
Peter Hammond Peter Hammond Postdoc Physics pph5189@psu.edu +1 814 863 9605 307 Whitmore Laboratory IGC Gravitational Waves, Multimessenger Astrophysics, Neutrinos
Bryan Hendricks Bryan Hendricks Graduate Student Physics blh5615@psu.edu 815-216-0835 204 Osmond Laboratory IGC Neutrinos
Ali Kheirandish Ali Kheirandish Graduate Student Physics abk5717@psu.edu +1 814 865 7533 Davey Laboratory CMA Dark Matter, Multimessenger Astrophysics, Neutrinos
Ryan Krebs Ryan Krebs Graduate Student Physics rjk5416@psu.edu (814) 865-7533 322 Osmond Laboratory CMA, IGC Multimessenger Astrophysics, Neutrinos
Yuchieh Ku Yuchieh Ku Graduate Student Physics yuchieh@psu.edu 8148628153 204 Osmond Laboratory IGC Neutrinos
Irina Mocioiu Irina Mocioiu Faculty Physics ium4@psu.edu +1 814 865 3721 320G Osmond Laboratory CMA Neutrinos
Richard Mueller Richard Mueller Graduate Student Physics rjm6826@psu.edu +1 814 865 7533 6E Osmond Laboratory IGC Neutrinos
Mainak Mukhopadhyay Mainak Mukhopadhyay Postdoc Astronomy, Physics mkm7190@psu.edu 320L Osmond Laboratory CMA Gravitational Waves, Multimessenger Astrophysics, Neutrinos
Kohta Murase Kohta Murase Faculty Astronomy, Physics kum26@psu.edu +1 814 863 9594 321B Osmond Laboratory CMA Cosmic Rays, Dark Matter, Gravitational Waves, Multimessenger Astrophysics, Neutrinos
Peter Mészáros Peter Mészáros Faculty Astronomy, Physics nnp@psu.edu 814-863-4167 504 Davey Laboratory CMA Gravitational Waves, Multimessenger Astrophysics, Neutrinos
Surendra Padamata Surendra Padamata Graduate Student Physics ssp5361@psu.edu 322 Osmond Laboratory CMA Black Holes, Cosmic Rays, Gravitational Waves, Multimessenger Astrophysics, Neutrinos
Yi Qiu Yi Qiu Graduate Student Physics yiqiu@psu.edu 8142328268 322 Whitmore Laboratory IGC Black Holes, Gravitational Waves, Multimessenger Astrophysics, Neutrinos
David Radice David Radice Faculty Astronomy, Physics dur566@psu.edu +1 814 865 7533 304 Whitmore Laboratory CMA Black Holes, Gravitational Waves, Multimessenger Astrophysics, Neutrinos
Steinn Sigurdsson Steinn Sigurdsson Faculty Astronomy sxs540@psu.edu +1 814 863 6038 426 Davey Laboratory CMA Black Holes, Multimessenger Astrophysics, Neutrinos
James Tutt James Tutt Faculty Astronomy jht12@psu.edu +1 814 865 6338 128A Davey Laboratory IGC Neutrinos
Stephanie Wissel Stephanie Wissel Faculty Astronomy, Physics wissel@psu.edu +1 814 863 9598 303B Osmond Laboratory CFT, CMA, CTOC Cosmic Rays, Multimessenger Astrophysics, Neutrinos
Chengchao Yuan Chengchao Yuan Graduate Student Physics cxy52@psu.edu +1 814 865 0153 CMA Cosmic Rays, Multimessenger Astrophysics, Neutrinos
Andrew Zeolla Andrew Zeolla Graduate Student Physics avz5228@psu.edu 7138709006 204 Osmond Laboratory CMA Cosmic Rays, Multimessenger Astrophysics, Neutrinos
Andrew Ziegler Andrew Ziegler Graduate Student Physics ziegler@psu.edu 6E Osmond Laboratory CMA Neutrinos
Luiz de Viveiros Luiz de Viveiros Faculty Physics lad57@psu.edu +1 814 865 7533 320E Osmond Laboratory CMA Dark Matter, Neutrinos
Name Role Affiliations Email Phone Office Centers Research topics
Valentin Decoene Valentin Decoene Postdoc Physics vxd5110@psu.edu +1 814 865 7533 320L Osmond Laboratory CMA, IGC Cosmic Rays, Multimessenger Astrophysics, Neutrinos
Pedro Espino Pedro Espino Faculty Physics ple5069@psu.edu 320 Whitmore Laboratory IGC Gravitational Waves, Multimessenger Astrophysics, Neutrinos
Kaeli Hughes Kaeli Hughes Postdoc Astronomy, Physics kaeli@psu.edu +1 6142906343 N/A Davey Laboratory CMA Cosmic Rays, Multimessenger Astrophysics, Neutrinos
Daniel Kodroff Daniel Kodroff Graduate Student Physics dsk192@psu.edu 0000000000 Basement Osmond Laboratory CMA Dark Matter, Neutrinos
Marco Muzio Marco Muzio Faculty Astronomy, Physics msm6428@psu.edu 322 Whitmore Laboratory CMA Cosmic Rays, Multimessenger Astrophysics, Neutrinos
Aviral Prakash Aviral Prakash Graduate Student Astronomy, ICDS, Physics aup1075@psu.edu 317 Whitmore Laboratory CMA Gravitational Waves, Multimessenger Astrophysics, Neutrinos
Alireza Rashti Alireza Rashti Postdoc Physics akr6170@psu.edu +1 814 863 9605 314 Whitmore Laboratory IGC Astrostatistics, Black Holes, Mathematical Structures, Multimessenger Astrophysics, Neutrinos, Physical Mathematics, Dynamic Universe

News about Neutrinos

International team awarded $16.3M to fund neutrino detection
December 8, 2025
International team awarded $16.3M to fund neutrino detection
Penn State Associate Professor Stephanie Wissel will design, construct specialized equipment to detect rare, high-energy particles Katie Yan 8 December 2025 Stephanie Wissel, associate professor …
What happens when neutron stars collide?
June 18, 2024
What happens when neutron stars collide?
When stars collapse, they can leave behind incredibly dense but relatively small and cold remnants called neutron stars. If two stars collapse in close proximity, …
IceCube identifies seven astrophysical tau neutrino candidates.
March 12, 2024
IceCube identifies seven astrophysical tau neutrino candidates.
The IceCube Neutrino Observatory, a cubic-kilometer-sized neutrino telescope at the South Pole, has observed a new kind of astrophysical messenger. In a new study recently …
IceCube Observatory Produces First Image of the Milky Way using Neutrinos
July 6, 2023
IceCube Observatory Produces First Image of the Milky Way using Neutrinos
Our Milky Way galaxy is an awe-inspiring feature of the night sky, viewable with the naked eye as a horizon-to-horizon hazy band of stars. Now, …
Icecube Neutrinos Give First Glimpse Into the Inner Depths of an Active Galaxy
November 9, 2022 priority outreach
Icecube Neutrinos Give First Glimpse Into the Inner Depths of an Active Galaxy
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — For the first time, an international team including Penn State scientists has found evidence of high-energy neutrino emission from Messier 77, …
About our wordmark
Monica Rincon Ramirez

The IGC wordmark was created by Monica Rincon Ramirez while she was a graduate student at the Institute. Monica enjoys drawing new connections between fundamental theory and observations. Her graduate work included general relativity, loop quantum gravity, and quantum fields in cosmological backgrounds; her thesis focused on effective quantum corrections to gravitational phenomena from spinfoams and applications to cosmology. She received her PhD in 2024.

The wordmark symbolizes the scope of research at the IGC. The base represents quantum gravity, evoking the quantum geometrical picture from spinfoams and loop quantum gravity — approaches studied at the Center for Fundamental Theory. The middle shows galaxies embedded in a smooth surface characteristic of spacetime in general relativity and the larger physical scales studied at the Center for Theoretical and Observational Cosmology. The top curves to an extreme representing a supermassive black hole accompanied by an energetic jet, with a binary black hole pair nearby — the high-energy phenomena studied at the Center for Multimessenger Astrophysics.