ProfessorNigel Smith, FRS
Visiting Professor
Department of Physics - Faculty of Natural Sciences
Orcid identifier0000-0002-2990-7998 (opens in a new tab)
- Visiting ProfessorDepartment of Physics - Faculty of Natural Sciences
- 020 7594 7527 (Work)
- 1106, Blackett Laboratory, South Kensington Campus, United Kingdom
RESEARCH
Dr. Nigel J.T. Smith is a leading figure in both the international astroparticle physics and major research infrastructure communities, having initiated a leading technology in direct dark matter searches, and developing and leading three national research facilities. As a field, astroparticle physics is dedicated to the study of sub-atomic particles from the cosmos, providing information about those particles, their sources and the influence they have on the Galaxy and Universe. Such research, consistently rated as among the highest priority questions in contemporary sub-atomic physics, requires the deployment of sensitive experiments in extreme environments to allow the rare and weak interactions from these particles to be observed. Dr. Smith has made exceptional contributions to the field in two key areas: the development of the leading experimental technology for high-mass dark matter searches (liquid xenon two-phase detectors), and the establishment of research infrastructures that provide world-leading capabilities to the international community. Dr. Smith’s career has spanned three continents, including deployment of detector systems and development of infrastructure in Antarctica (the South Pole), a U.K. potash mine, a Canadian nickel mine, and now a particle accelerator centre (TRIUMF). He has recently played a major role in the development of Canadian policy towards research infrastructures, through government engagement around Major Research Facilities support.
Dr. Smith's early research included studies of ultra high-energy gamma rays from astrophysical sources. As part of his Ph.D at Leeds University, Dr. Smith "wintered-over" at the South Pole in 1987 as the sole operator of an air shower array telescope at the U.S. Amundsen-Scott station, the first Briton to winter-over. He switched to the search for Dark Matter in 1992, joining Imperial College and the STFC Rutherford Appleton laboratory.
Dr. Smith has been engaged in the search for the ‘dark matter’ of the Galaxy for almost three decades, material that has gravitational influence on the evolution of the Universe and galaxies, yet remains unidentified. As leader of the ZEPLIN-I and II programme, he spearheaded the use of liquid xenon for dark matter searches, generating a technology which has led that field for two decades and improved the sensitivity for detection by six orders of magnitude for weakly interacting massive particles. As a research facility director, he has established deep underground laboratories required to shield experiments from the cosmic radiation bombarding the Earth’s surface: as group leader at the STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory from 1998, he developed the Boulby facility in the U.K., and for 12 years from 2009 as Executive Director of SNOLAB, he developed that facility into a fully-fledged user facility. Both facilities are recognised as leading national laboratories. Under Dr. Smith’s leadership, SNOLAB broadened its programme into interdisciplinary science, with capabilities that address a broad range of missions, including the COVID-19 pandemic.
Dr. Smith is currently the Executive Director of TRIUMF, Canada’s particle accelerator centre, appointed in May 2021 following an international search. TRIUMF is Canada’s largest ‘Big Science’ facility. As Executive Director for TRIUMF, Dr. Smith is responsible for maintaining and developing this major strategic asset for Canada during a period of rapid change as new infrastructure for radioactive ion beams and medical isotopes come on-line, a new governance structure is implemented, and a new vision created to address global challenges using TRIUMF’s expertise. By implementing these new concepts, Dr. Smith recently delivered federal support of CAD$400M for TRIUMF operations, the largest increase in TRIUMF’s 50-year history.
As a Fellow of CIFAR, Canada's advanced research institution, Dr. Smith is engaged in the Earth 4D programme, studying the impact of radiation fields on the development of geological processes, including the development of the conditions for life.
Although now based in Canada, Dr. Smith remains strongly connected to the U.K. research community with membership of advisory Boards to STFC and the Boulby facility as the Boulby facility pursues site selection for the ultimate generation of liquid xenon dark matter detector. He actively participates in international review committees and chairs the Melbourne ARC Dark Matter Centre International Advisory Committee and the STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory Particle Physics Advisory Committee, sits on the Boulby Project Development Team, the ILC International Expert Panel, the Electron-Ion Collider Advisory Board, the nLaboratoire Souterrain de Modane Strategic Advisory Committee, and the IUPAP Working Group 9 (Nuclear Physics) and the Board of the Institute for Quantum Computing at the University of Waterloo.
Dr. Smith's early research included studies of ultra high-energy gamma rays from astrophysical sources. As part of his Ph.D at Leeds University, Dr. Smith "wintered-over" at the South Pole in 1987 as the sole operator of an air shower array telescope at the U.S. Amundsen-Scott station, the first Briton to winter-over. He switched to the search for Dark Matter in 1992, joining Imperial College and the STFC Rutherford Appleton laboratory.
Dr. Smith has been engaged in the search for the ‘dark matter’ of the Galaxy for almost three decades, material that has gravitational influence on the evolution of the Universe and galaxies, yet remains unidentified. As leader of the ZEPLIN-I and II programme, he spearheaded the use of liquid xenon for dark matter searches, generating a technology which has led that field for two decades and improved the sensitivity for detection by six orders of magnitude for weakly interacting massive particles. As a research facility director, he has established deep underground laboratories required to shield experiments from the cosmic radiation bombarding the Earth’s surface: as group leader at the STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory from 1998, he developed the Boulby facility in the U.K., and for 12 years from 2009 as Executive Director of SNOLAB, he developed that facility into a fully-fledged user facility. Both facilities are recognised as leading national laboratories. Under Dr. Smith’s leadership, SNOLAB broadened its programme into interdisciplinary science, with capabilities that address a broad range of missions, including the COVID-19 pandemic.
Dr. Smith is currently the Executive Director of TRIUMF, Canada’s particle accelerator centre, appointed in May 2021 following an international search. TRIUMF is Canada’s largest ‘Big Science’ facility. As Executive Director for TRIUMF, Dr. Smith is responsible for maintaining and developing this major strategic asset for Canada during a period of rapid change as new infrastructure for radioactive ion beams and medical isotopes come on-line, a new governance structure is implemented, and a new vision created to address global challenges using TRIUMF’s expertise. By implementing these new concepts, Dr. Smith recently delivered federal support of CAD$400M for TRIUMF operations, the largest increase in TRIUMF’s 50-year history.
As a Fellow of CIFAR, Canada's advanced research institution, Dr. Smith is engaged in the Earth 4D programme, studying the impact of radiation fields on the development of geological processes, including the development of the conditions for life.
Although now based in Canada, Dr. Smith remains strongly connected to the U.K. research community with membership of advisory Boards to STFC and the Boulby facility as the Boulby facility pursues site selection for the ultimate generation of liquid xenon dark matter detector. He actively participates in international review committees and chairs the Melbourne ARC Dark Matter Centre International Advisory Committee and the STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory Particle Physics Advisory Committee, sits on the Boulby Project Development Team, the ILC International Expert Panel, the Electron-Ion Collider Advisory Board, the nLaboratoire Souterrain de Modane Strategic Advisory Committee, and the IUPAP Working Group 9 (Nuclear Physics) and the Board of the Institute for Quantum Computing at the University of Waterloo.