About

Mark Pitt is a Professor and Chair in the Department of Physics at Virginia Tech, located in Robeson Hall. His field of research is Experimental Nuclear Physics. He is associated with the Center for Neutrino Physics and is involved in physics outreach activities. His contact information includes an email address (pitt@vt.edu), a phone number (540-231-3015), and a physical office at 324 Robeson Hall, 850 West Campus Drive, Blacksburg, VA 24061. His academic background includes a Ph.D. from Princeton. His professional focus is on experimental nuclear physics, and he is actively engaged in research and departmental leadership at Virginia Tech.

Research topics

• Optics
• Atomic physics
• Quantum mechanics
• Condensed matter physics
• Physics
• Nuclear physics

Selected publications

• Nuclear Dependence of Beam Normal Single Spin Asymmetry in Elastic Scattering from Nuclei

  arXiv (Cornell University) · 2024

  • Physics
  • Nuclear physics
  • Atomic physics

  We propose to measure the beam normal single spin asymmetry in elastic scattering of transversely polarized electron from target nuclei with 12 $\leq Z \leq$ 90 at Q$^2$ = 0.0092 GeV$^2$ to study its nuclear dependence. While the theoretical calculations based on two-photon exchange suggest no nuclear dependence at this kinematics, the results of 208Pb from Jefferson Lab show a striking disagreement from both theoretical predictions and light nuclei measurements. The proposed measurements will provide new data for intermediate to heavy nuclei where no data exists for $Z \geq$ 20 in the kinematics of previous high-energy experiments. It will allow one to investigate the missing contributions that are not accounted in the current theoretical models.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Determination of the Proton's Weak Charge and Its Constraints on the Standard Model

  Annual Review of Nuclear and Particle Science · 2019-08-06 · 11 citations

  article

  This article discusses some of the history of parity-violation experiments that culminated in the Q weak experiment, which provided the first determination of the proton's weak charge [Formula: see text]. The guiding principles necessary to the success of that experiment are outlined, followed by a brief description of the Q weak experiment. Several consistent methods used to determine [Formula: see text] from the asymmetry measured in the Q weak experiment are explained in detail. The weak mixing angle sin 2 θ w determined from [Formula: see text] is compared with results from other experiments. A description of the procedure for using the [Formula: see text] result on the proton to set TeV-scale limits for new parity-violating semileptonic physics beyond the Standard Model (BSM) is presented. By also considering atomic parity-violation results on cesium, the article shows how this result can be generalized to set limits on BSM physics, which couples to any combination of valence quark flavors. Finally, the discovery space available to future weak-charge measurements is explored.

  PublisherDOI

• Testing the Standard Model at the Precision Frontier with the Q_weak Experiment

  Nuclear Physics News · 2019-10-02

  articleOpen access

  The standard model of particle physics (SM) has been wildly successful describing the strong, electromagnetic, and weak forces between visible matter. Despite this success, there is a host of phenomena it fails to describe, including neutrino oscillations, gravity, dark matter, and baryon asymmetry. Something is missing—the theory is not complete. This conviction has compelled physicists to develop ever-more-stringent tests in the hope of finding cracks in the SM that could point to where the beyond-the-standard-model (BSM) physics might lie. Direct searches at high-energy colliders have yielded no evidence for some of the most intriguing possibilities, like supersymmetry, and have not been able to shed much light on where to look next.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• The P2 Experiment - A future high-precision measurement of the electroweak mixing angle at low momentum transfer

  arXiv (Cornell University) · 2018-02-13 · 50 citations

  preprintOpen access

  This article describes the future P2 parity-violating electron scattering facility at the upcoming MESA accelerator in Mainz. The physics program of the facility comprises indirect, high precision search for physics beyond the Standard Model, measurement of the neutron distribution in nuclear physics, single-spin asymmetries stemming from two-photon exchange and a possible future extension to the measurement of hadronic parity violation. The first measurement of the P2 experiment aims for a high precision determination of the weak mixing angle to a precision of 0.14% at a four-momentum transfer of Q^2 = 4.5 10^{-3} GeV^2. The accuracy is comparable to existing measurements at the Z pole. It comprises a sensitive test of the standard model up to a mass scale of 50 TeV, extendable to 70 TeV. This requires a measurement of the parity violating cross section asymmetry -39.94 10^{-9} in the elastic electron-proton scattering with a total accuracy of 0.56 10^-9 (1.4 %) in 10,000 h of 150 \micro A polarized electron beam impinging on a 60 cm liquid H_2 target allowing for an extraction of the weak charge of the proton which is directly connected to the weak mixing angle. Contributions from gamma Z-box graphs become small at the small beam energy of 155 MeV. The size of the asymmetry is the smallest asymmetry ever measured in electron scattering with an unprecedented goal for the accuracy. We report here on the conceptual design of the P2 spectrometer, its Cherenkov detectors, the integrating read-out electronics as well as the ultra-thin, fast tracking detectors. There has been substantial theory work done in preparation of the determination of the weak mixing angle. The further physics program in particle and nuclear physics is described as well.

  PublisherDOI

• The P2 experiment

  The European Physical Journal A · 2018-11-01 · 134 citations

  articleOpen access
  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Qweak experiment update and applications/opportunities at lower energies

  AIP conference proceedings · 2013-01-01

  article1st authorCorresponding

  The Qweak experiment has recently completed data-taking at Jefferson Lab. The primary focus of the experiment is to perform a precision measurement of the proton's neutral weak charge. The Standard Model gives a definite prediction for the weak charge. Any deviation from that can be interpreted as evidence for new physics beyond the Standard Model. This precision, low energy measurement is sensitive to new physics signatures at energy scales up to 2 TeV. The experiment measures the parity-violating asymmetry in the scattering of 1.165 GeV longitudinally polarized electrons on the proton at low momentum transfer (Q2 ∼ 0.025 (GeV/c)2). This paper provides a brief status report on the experiment with a focus on instrumentation and techniques that are applicable to lower beam energy realizations of parity-violating electron scattering measurements. Estimates of anticipated errors on the proton's weak charge expected if the Qweak apparatus were used at a lower beam energy are also discussed.

  PublisherDOI

• Measuring the Neutrino Luminosity of the Sun with LENS & the MINILENS prototype

  Nuclear Physics B - Proceedings Supplements · 2011-12-01 · 5 citations

  article
  PublisherDOI

• The LENS Experiment- Low Energy Neutrino Spectroscopy

  2009-01-01

  article1st authorCorresponding
  Publisher

• The Q[sub weak] Experiment at Jefferson Lab—A Search for New Physics at the TeV Scale

  AIP conference proceedings · 2009-01-01 · 1 citations

  articleOpen access1st authorCorresponding

  The Qweak collaboration will make the first precision determination of the proton’s weak charge, QWP = 1−4 sin2 θw, from a measurement of the parity‐violating asymmetry in elastic electron‐proton scattering at very low momentum transfer. The results will determine the proton’s weak charge with a 4% total error. The Standard Model makes a firm prediction of QWP, based on the running of the weak mixing angle, sin2 θw, from the Z0 pole down to low energies, corresponding to a 10σ effect in this experiment. Any significant deviation of sin2 θw from the Standard Model prediction at low Q2 would be a signal of new physics, wheras agreement would place new and significant constraints on possible Standard Model extensions at the TeV mass scale.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Production and Quality Control Improvements in the Fabrication of Diamond-Like-Carbon Guides

  Bulletin of the American Physical Society · 2008-10-24

  articleSenior author
  Publisher

Recent grants

• Probing the Standard Model and Nuclear Structure with Parity-Violating Electron Scattering

  NSF · $380k · 2017–2023

• Strange Form Factors, Direct CP Violation, and a Low Energy Standard Model Test

  NSF · $350k · 2002–2009

Frequent coauthors

• W. Deconinck

  University of Manitoba

  5 shared

• David Armstrong

  Williams (United States)

  5 shared

• K. Paschke

  University of Virginia

  4 shared

• K.S. Kumar

  4 shared

• C. Gal

  University of Virginia

  4 shared

• J. Mammei

  4 shared

• R. Beminiwattha

  4 shared

• Jie Pan

  3 shared

Labs

• Center for Neutrino PhysicsPI