Thomas D.
GutierrezLawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
One Cyclotron Road Mail Stop 50R-5008
Berkeley, CA 94720
tgutierr@lifshitz.ucdavis.edu
Scuma
Since May of 2004 I've been working as a postdoc at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory on two related neutrinoless double beta decay projects called Cuoricino and the proposed CUORE experiment (also visit the LBL-CUORE site). The experiments are located at the Gran Sasso National Laboratory in Italy. This gives me the opportunity to spend about six weeks a year in Gran Sasso (and perhaps a week or so in Milan). I've also continued working with the STAR collaboration at RHIC studying pion interferometry (a.k.a. Hanbury-Brown Twiss or "femptscopy") in proton-proton collisions. Here is a link to some of my current publications.
Between June of 2000 and 2004 I was a Faculty Fellow then a postdoctoral researcher at the University of California, Davis, Department of Physics working primarily on STAR physics but also working a little with NA49. I spent 2002-2004 in residence at LBNL. While in Davis, I had the opportunity to teach Physics 7B (offered in the winter and spring) and two Physics 250 courses (Journal Club). I also taught my own version of Physics 9A, undergraduate mechanics for science and engineering majors, in the Spring of 2002.
I received my Ph.D. in physics in the Spring of 2000 from the University of California, Davis. My dissertation [.pdf,.ps] studies a particular coalescence mechanism for charm quarks and light gluinos in the context of the intrinsic charm model.
Other physics interests include studying nuclear matter under extreme conditions, quantum computing, higher order quantum interferometry, fundamentals of quantum mechanics, neutrino physics, and pedagogical methods in physics.
Previous studies have been at San Jose State University (Department of Physics) where I received my Master's degree (1994). Research for my Master's thesis was carried out with the SILS Lab in the Exobiology Group at NASA Ames Research Center. While I was involved with the group, the project was concerned with precision measurements of C12/C13 isotope ratios in CO2 gas using infrared tunable diode laser spectroscopy. In addition to exobiology, the instrument had promising applications in geology, biology, and medical diagnostics. As an undergraduate, while working with the same research group at NASA, I received a BS in physics in as well as minors in mathematics and music (1991).
For a more complete rundown on my professional history, feel free to glance at my CV.
My interest in music exists both as a listener, a composer, and a performer (though not so much of the latter these days). Starting from an early age, I had formal lessons in the accordian (1st grade), clarinet (4th grade), organ (6th-7th grade), tuba (high school), and bass (high school onward). I went to high school at St. Francis in Mountain View, CA, playing the bass in the jazz band and the tuba in the concert/marching band (ask me about the senior band trip sometime...). I also played bass in a band called Osiris with Paul Lesinski (now performing with Colorfield in Portland, OR), Kevin Brown, Tom Luce (founder of the popular Bay Area band Luce), Eric Johnson, and Todd Tholke (who now hosts Open Mic at Sacred Grounds Cafe in SF).
As an undergraduate, I received a minor in music from SJSU and performed in several ensembles (jazz improv, pop, rock, pit orchestra, experimental etc.). During the post Osiris days from 1986 until I moved to Davis in 1994, the band names changed nearly daily (as is typical) but a few to remember: AAARVK, Golden Dawn, Nimoy, Fred, Dark's Ensemble, World Music Ensemble (where the director would walk in and say something like "play on the color yellow" then walk away), and The Strangers. During those years, I learned how to play 6-string guitar, bought a 4-track of my own, and did lots of solo home recording (known as "The Irod Project") and often created wacky projects with Rob Perrier, Fred Goris, Keith Van Dierendonck, and a host of others (those works are now collectivly know as Symphonic Conglomerate's Next 23 Miles).
In the late 80's and early 90's I also did quite a bit of fun music projects with Paul Lesinski and Kevin Brown (co-founder of Inktomi and now working in cybersecurity -- easily the best drummer I've ever known). Also in the early 90's, I became involved with some other physics blokes at SJSU (Wayne Dawson, Mark Fallis, and Mike Masuda) in a project called The Weasles. The core of it was highly improvisational, but there were certainly highly structured elements too. It served as a short but sweet creative dumping ground.
The Davis Years were practically dead musically (although I did do some small personal projects). Grad school was just too taxing. Recently, I've been doing quite a bit of solo home recording, collaborating with my brother Leo on his video projects, taking opera lessons, and brushing up on my Italian. Recently Paul, Kevin, and I have jammed a bit in preparation for the Osiris reunion at the Saint Francis High School Class of 1986 20th in 2006.
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
One Cyclotron Road Mail Stop 50R-5008
Berkeley, CA 94720
tgutierr@lifshitz.ucdavis.edu
Scuma