Naoko Kurahashi Neilson

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Naoko Kurahashi Neilson is an American astrophysicist and neutrino astronomer who works as a professor of physics at Drexel University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. [1] Her research focuses on the observation of high-energy neutrinos, especially through the IceCube Neutrino Observatory, and the development of better techniques for localizing the sources of these neutrinos. [2] Her discovery that some of these neutrinos were galactic rather than extra-galactic [3] inspired her to produce a neutrino-based map of the Milky Way. [4] [5]

Contents

Education and career

Kurahashi lived in California as a child. [6] She was already determined to become a physicist in elementary school, [7] and majored in physics at the University of California, Berkeley, graduating in 2002. [8] She received a Ph.D. in 2010 from Stanford University, [8] [9] based on research with an acoustic neutrino detector array in the waters of the Bahamas. [10] Her dissertation, Acoustic Detection of Ultra-high Energy Neutrinos, was supervised by Giorgio Gratta and co-advised by Vahé Petrosian. [8] [9]

After postdoctoral research working with IceCube at the University of Wisconsin, she joined Drexel University as an assistant professor in 2014. She was promoted to associate professor in 2019 and full professor in 2024. [8]

Recognition

Neilson was named a Fellow of the American Physical Society (APS) in 2024, after a nomination from the APS Division of Astrophysics, "for outstanding contributions and leadership in experimental neutrino physics to produce the first neutrino map of the Milky Way, and for strong service to improve the culture for women in physics, including the development of an active community of mid-career women in large physics collaborations". [2]

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References

  1. "Naoko Kurahashi Neilson, PhD", Faculty directory, Drexel University College of Arts and Sciences, retrieved 2024-11-27
  2. 1 2 King-Klemperer, Alisa (October 7, 2024), Naoko Kurahashi Neilson and Doug Cowen named 2024 APS Fellows, IceCube Neutrino Observatory, retrieved 2024-11-27
  3. "Extreme 'ghostly' particles detected in our galaxy for the first time", National Geographic, April 8, 2015, retrieved 2024-11-27
  4. Chang, Kenneth (June 29, 2023), "Neutrinos Detection Builds a Ghostly Map of the Milky Way", The New York Times
  5. Wright, Katherine (June 29, 2023), "Milky Way Viewed through Neutrinos", Research news, Physics, vol. 16, American Physical Society, p. 115, retrieved 2024-11-27
  6. "IceCube Scientists", Bringing the Universe 2 Wisconsin, University of Wisconsin-River Falls, retrieved 2024-11-27
  7. Weaver, Amy (April 3, 2017), "25 Faces 25 Years: Naoko Kurahashi Neilson", College News, Drexel University College of Arts and Sciences, retrieved 2024-11-27
  8. 1 2 3 4 Curriculum vitae, Drexel University, retrieved 2024-11-27
  9. 1 2 Kurahashi, Naoko (2010), Acoustic Detection of Ultra-high Energy Neutrinos, Stanford University, retrieved 2024-11-27
  10. Ayshford, Emily (November 26, 2019), "Get to know 10 early-career experimentalists", Symmetry: Dimensions of Particle Physics, Fermilab and SLAC, retrieved 2024-11-27