Professional biography

I am an experimental physicist specializing in neutrino research. I obtained my Bachelor’s and Master of Science in Physics from the Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú (PUCP). I completed my Ph.D. in Physics at the College of William and Mary, focusing on the MINERvA experiment. I then worked as a Fermilab (US) research associate, contributing to the NOvA and EMPHATIC experiments. I am a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Texas at Arlington, where I am dedicated to the Short-Baseline Neutrino (SBN) program.

Research focus

My research is centered on measuring neutrino oscillations, developing advanced techniques for predicting neutrino beams, measuring neutrino-nucleus cross sections, and incorporating new models to improve the precision of oscillation measurements by better controlling for systematic uncertainties. I focus on experiments utilizing the Neutrinos at the Main Injector (NuMI) and Booster Neutrino Beam (BNB) beamlines at Fermilab.

SBN Simulation Infrastructure

At the Short-Baseline Neutrino (SBN) program, I am the convener of the SBN Simulation Infrastructure group. In this role, I coordinate technical improvements across all simulation aspects. I ensure consistency between both SBN experiment’s (ICARUS and SBND) simulations for the joint analysis to search for sterile neutrinos. My leadership includes efforts to reassess the BNB neutrino flux uncertainty and construct a new software infrastructure to propagate uncertainties effectively.

EMPHATIC

In EMPHATIC, my primary interest is measuring proton interactions in beryllium to enhance the BNB flux for the SBN program. This research is critical for improving the accuracy and reliability of neutrino flux predictions, thereby supporting the overall objectives of the SBN experiments.

Neutrino interactions

I implemented a GiBUU-based simulation for neutrino experiments that were especially tailored to SBN. I am currently developing infrastructure to incorporate GiBUU model-related uncertainties, a crucial aspect of my research plan to have an alternative model for neutrino analyzers.

During my time with NOvA, I served as a convener for the near detector group, where I planned and led efforts to measure new cross sections. I conducted two muon-neutrino charged-current cross-section measurements: one inclusive and the other targeting a selection that enhances nuclear effects, among the more challenging effects to model accurately.

NuMI neutrino flux prediction

My Ph.D. thesis focused on the neutrino flux predictions for the MINERvA experiment, which measures neutrino cross-sections at the NuMI in the few-GeV region. These predictions incorporate dedicated hadron production data and are utilized across all MINERvA measurements.

As a result of my thesis work, I developed the computational package PPFX (Package to Predict FluX), which has been widely adopted by several neutrino experiments, including MINOS, NOvA, MicroBooNE, ArgoNeuT, and ICARUS, for predicting the NuMI flux for various physics measurements. Furthermore, PPFX is utilized for sensitivity studies at the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE).

High-Performance Computing

During the SciDAC-Data project at Fermilab, I focused on optimizing data handling systems for High-Performance Computing (HPC). I analyzed data availability and consumption patterns across various Fermilab experiments. This effort aimed to improve data processing efficiency and accessibility, advancing experimental capabilities in particle physics research.

Selected Publications

  • The MINERvA Collaboration. Neutrino flux predictions for the NuMI beam. Phys. Rev. D, 94, 092005 (2016). arXiv link.
  • The NOvA Collaboration. First measurement of neutrino oscillation parameters using neutrinos and antineutrinos by NOvA. Phys. Rev. Lett., 123, 151803 (2019). arXiv link.
  • The EMPHATIC Collaboration. Measurement of proton-carbon forward scattering in a proof-of-principle test of the EMPHATIC spectrometer. Phys. Rev. D, 106, 112008 (2022). arXiv link.
  • The NOvA Collaboration. Measurement of the double-differential muon-neutrino charged-current inclusive cross section in the NOvA near detector. Phys. Rev. D, 107, 052011 (2023). arXiv link.
  • L. Aliaga et al. Monte Carlo Simulation Development and Implementation of the GiBUU Model for Neutrino Experiments. arXiv:2311.14286 [hep-ex]. Submitted to Computer Physics Communications (2024). arXiv link.
  • P. Ding et al. Analyzing how we do Analysis and Consume Data, Results from the SciDAC-Data Project. J. Phys. Conf. Ser. 898 (2017), p. 092048. IOP Science link.