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Stenson, Kevin M

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Research

research overview

  • Professor Stenson is a member of the CMS Collaboration. CMS is one of two large general purpose detectors at the LHC at CERN in Geneva, Switzerland. The main goals of the experiment are measurement of the Higgs particle properties and searches for new physics such as supersymmetry. Professor Stenson was involved in the commissioning of two silicon forward pixel detectors for CMS. He was the co-convener of the CMS Tracking Physics Object Group in 2011 and 2012. He was instrumental in multiple improvements made to the track reconstruction code. His current interests are in searches for supersymmetry or other new physics in hadronic modes and searching for dark matter using a distinctive signature called emerging jets. He is also involved in studies of detector upgrades for the CMS detector. In particular, he is working on reconstructing tracks at the trigger level using FPGAs and using those tracks in physics objects that can be used to select events for offline analysis.

keywords

  • strange particle production, beauty production, bottom production, silicon pixel detectors, track reconstruction, rare decays, flavor physics, supersymmetry, SUSY, dark QCD, emerging jets, trigger, track trigger

Publications

selected publications

Teaching

courses taught

  • PHYS 1110 - General Physics 1
    Secondary Instructor - Fall 2023
    Three lect., one rec. per week, plus three evening exams in the fall and spring semesters. First semester of three-semester sequence for science and engineering students. Covers kinematics, dynamics, momentum of particles and rigid bodies, work and energy, gravitation, simple harmonic motion and introduction to thermodynamics. Degree credit not granted for this course and PHYS 1115.
  • PHYS 2010 - General Physics 1
    Primary Instructor - Spring 2020 / Spring 2022
    Includes three lectures, one two-hour laboratory/recitation per week, plus three evening exams in the fall and spring semesters. Covers mechanics, heat and sound. Thorough presentation of fundamental facts and principles of physics using algebra and trigonometry. Designed for life science majors, including premed students. Natural science majors with a knowledge of calculus and others taking calculus are urged to take the calculus-based courses PHYS 1110, PHYS 1120, PHYS 1140 and PHYS 2130, rather than PHYS 2010 and PHYS 2020. Department enforced prerequisites: ability to use high school algebra and trigonometry.
  • PHYS 2130 - General Physics 3
    Primary Instructor - Fall 2022
    Covers special relativity, quantum theory, atomic physics, solid state and nuclear physics. Third semester of introductory sequence for science and engineering students. Physics majors should take PHYS 2170 instead of this course. Normally taken with PHYS 2150. Degree credit not granted for this course and PHYS 2170.
  • PHYS 2600 - Introduction to Programming and Scientific Computing
    Primary Instructor - Spring 2023 / Spring 2024
    Covers basic concepts in programming and scientific computing, including numerical integration and simulation of physical systems. Students will learn the programming language Python and associated graphics libraries. Programming examples will be drawn from classical physical systems that can only be solved numerically, such as projectile motion with drag and N-body problems.
  • PHYS 3330 - Electronics for the Physical Sciences
    Primary Instructor - Fall 2020 / Spring 2021 / Fall 2021
    Introduces laboratory electronics for physical science students. Includes basic electronic instruments, dc bridge circuits, operational amplifiers, bipolar transistors, field-effect transistors, photodiodes, noise in electronic circuits, digital logic and microcontrollers. Students gain hands-on experience in designing, building and debugging circuits. Two lectures and one three hour laboratory per week. Concludes with a three-week project in which students design and build an experiment of their choice and present a seminar on the results.
  • PHYS 4430 - Advanced Laboratory
    Primary Instructor - Spring 2018
    Two lectures, one lab per week. Experiments introduce students to realities of the experimental physics so they gain a better understanding of theory and an appreciation of the vast amount of experimental work done in the physical sciences today. Same as PHYS 5430.

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