About Me
I was born and raised in Japan, spending most of my childhood in Chiba Prefecture. After graduating from high school, I immigrated to the United States.
I became interested in physics while taking an introductory physics class at Saddleback College in Orange County, California, where I received my Associate of Science in physics in 2000.
Then I transfered to the University of California at Berkeley, where I conducted research for the Kamioka Liquid Scintillator Antineutrino Detector (KamLAND) experiment.
I calcuated the expected energy spectra of electron antineutrinos (
s) originating from nuclear reactors and detected by KamLAND for various neutrino oscillation parameters, Δm212 and θ12. I received my Bachelor of Art in physics from Berkeley in 2002.
I continued to work on KamLAND as a graduate student at Stanford University under the supervision of Prof. Giorgio Gratta.
In 2008 I received my Ph.D. in physics from Stanford.
For my thesis, I conducted an analysis on s from both nuclear reactors and the Earth's interior, simultaneously measuring Δm212 (most accurately to date) and θ12, and confirming the detection of so-called geoneutrinos for the first time.
After graduating from Stanford, I worked as a research associate at Center for Experimental Nuclear Physics and Astrophysics (CENPA) on the University of Washington, Seattle campus.
I worked on the Karlsruhe Tritium Neutrino Experiment (KATRIN), which is under construction aiming to measure the absolute mass of s in the near future.
As well as conducting research, I taught physics courses at University of Washington. Here I found my true passion and decided to teach physics to college students. I have taught calculus-based introductory physics courses (Phys 121, 122, and 123) targeted for physics, other sciences, and engineering majors at University of Washington since the spring of 2009. I also have taught conceptual physics courses designed for liberal arts and other non-science majors (Phys 110), and calculus-based introductory physics courses (Phys 221 and 231) at Shoreline Community College since the fall of 2009.
I am happily married to Nikolai Tolich, who works as an assistant professor in the physics department at the University of Washington.
Classes Taught
- Engineering Physics Lab I: Mechanics, Physics 231 Winter 2011 at Shoreline Community College
- Electricity and Magnetism, Physics 122A Fall 2010 at University of Washington
- Concepts of the Physical World, Physics 110 Fall 2010 at Shoreline Community College
- Engineering Physics I: Mechanics, Physics 221 Fall 2010 at Shoreline Community College
- Electricity and Magnetism, Physics 122A Summer 2010 at University of Washington
- Concepts of the Physical World, Physics 110 Spring 2010 at Shoreline Community College
- Concepts of the Physical World, Physics 110 Winter 2010 at Shoreline Community College
- Concepts of the Physical World, Physics 110 Fall 2009 at Shoreline Community College
- Waves, Physics 123A Summer 2009 at University of Washington
- Mechanics, Physics 121B Spring 2009 at University of Washington
Publications
Production of Radioactive Isotopes through Cosmic Muon Spallation in KamLAND
S. Abe, et al. (KamLAND Collaboration)
Phys. Rev. C 81, 025807 (2010) 0907.0066
The KamLAND Full-Volume Calibration System
B.E. Berger, et al. (KamLAND Collaboration)
J. Inst 4 (2009) P04017 0903.0441v1
Precision Measurement of Neutrino Oscillation Parameters with KamLAND
S. Abe, et al. (KamLAND Collaboration)
Phys. Rev. Lett. 100, 221803 (2008) 0801.4589
Measurement of Neutrino Oscillation Parameters and Investigation of Uranium and Thorium Abundances in the Earth Using Anti-Neutrinos
K. Tolich
Ph.D. Thesis, Stanford University, 2008A geoneutrino experiment at Homestake
N. Tolich, et al.
Earth Moon Planets 99, 229 (2006) physics/0607230
Search for the Invisible Decay of Neutrons with KamLAND
T. Araki, et al. (KamLAND Collaboration)
Phys. Rev. Lett. 96, 101802 (2006) hep-ex/0512059
Experimental investigation of geologically produced electron antineutrinos with KamLAND
T. Araki, et al. (KamLAND collaboration)
Nature 436, 499 (2005)
Measurement of Neutrino Oscillation with KamLAND: Evidence of Spectral Distortion
T. Araki, et al. (KamLAND Collaboration)
Phys. Rev. Lett. 94, 081801 (2005) hep-ex/0406035
High Sensitivity Search for
's from the Sun and Other Sources at KamLAND
K. Eguchi, et al. (KamLAND Collaboration)
Phys. Rev. Lett. 92, 071301 (2004) hep-ex/0310047
First Results from KamLAND: Evidence for Reactor Antineutrino Disappearance
K. Eguchi, et al. (KamLAND Collaboration)
Phys. Rev. Lett. 90, 021802 (2002) hep-ex/0212021
Talks
Measurement of Neutrino Oscillation Parameters and Investigation of Uranium and Thorium Abundances in the Earth Using Anti-Neutrinos
Stanford University, Kazumi Tolich Ph.D. Dissertation Defense, February 26, 2008Previous Results and Future Possibilities of KamLAND
University of Washington, Particle Theory Seminar, February 6, 2007Experimental Investigation of Geologically Produced Antineutrinos with KamLAND
SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, SLAC Experimental Seminar, August 9, 2005Prospects for 7Be Solar Neutrino Detection with KamLAND
University of Washington, Workshop on Exploring the Physics Frontier at the Deep Underground Laboratories, June 24, 2005
