Molly Watts

Science goal: Search for neutrinoless double beta decay, which could answer why we live in a Universe of matter, not antimatter.

WL involvement: Yale is leading efforts to build the photon detectors for nEXO. Moore serves as the sub-system scientist for the photon sensors. Moore is also collaborating with LLNL and SLAC to study ways to capture xenon directly from the atmosphere.

Science goal: Study interactions involving neutrinos; to test gravity; & to search for dark matter, quantum phenomenon, sterile neutrinos, and new forces.

WL involvement: The Moore group has developed the world’s most sensitive micron-sized force sensors. Both the SIMPLE and QuIPS experiments are located at Wright Lab.

Science Goal: Space missions aiming to reach locations well outside of the solar system are likely to require new types of rocket engines. An ambitious new concept aims to develop a spacecraft propulsion system based on the ejection of alpha particles from nuclei within a specially designed sail.

WL Involvement: The Moore group is working on a small-scale prototype of this concept using a small sail levitated in vacuum that is coated with a radioactive isotope of lead. By measuring the force imparted to the sail when alpha particles are emitted, we can characterize the possible levels of thrust