Dr. Gerard P. Gilfoyle
Professor of Physics My research is focused on the experimental program at the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Laboratory to explore the quark nature of matter with a recent excursion into nuclear arms policy. I have also developed inquiry-based laboratories for introductory physics and undergraduate quantum mechanics. We now know that particles called quarks are the basis for the atoms, molecules, and atomic nuclei that form us and our world. Nevertheless, how these quarks actually combine to form that matter is still a mystery. I used the unique capabilities of the CLAS detector at Jefferson Lab to make some of the first measurements of little-known electric and magnetic properties of the deuteron. In the past, scattering experiments were confined to reactions where the debris from the collision was in the same plane (usually horizontal) as the incoming and outgoing projectile. With CLAS we can measure particles that are scattered out of that plane and are sensitive to effects that have been often ignored up to now. These measurements will open a new window into the atomic nucleus. Since 1999 I have been actively involved in science policy. I have worked on methods to secure fissile material in Russia for the US Department of Defense and on identifying new technologies for homeland security with the American Physical Society's Task Force on Countering Terrorism. I am now developing a course on science and security with the Political Science Department.
D-104 Gottwald Science Center
Office: (804) 289-8255
Fax: (804) 484-1542
http://facultystaff.richmond.edu/~ggilfoyl/GPGHome.html
Research:
Electro-nuclear physics
Computational methods
Nuclear non-proliferation and science policy
Active learning strategies in introductory and advanced physics courses
Education:
Ph.D., University of Pennsylvania
Selected Publications:
Gilfoyle, G.P., & Girod, F.X. (2008) Deeply Virtual Compton Scattering Beam-Spin Asymmetries. Physical Review Letters, 100, 162002.
Gillfoyle, G.P., & De Masi, R. (2008) Beam spin asymmetry in depp and exclusive rho0 electroproduction. Physical Review C, 77, 042201.
Gillfoyle, G.P., & Ireland, D.G. (2008) A Bayesian analysis of pentaquark signals from CLAS data. Physical Review Letters, 100, 052001.
Gillfoyle, G.P., & Park, K. (2008) Cross sections and bean asymmetries for ep→enpi+ in the Nucleon Resonance Region of 1.7 < Q² < 4.5 GeV². Physical Review C, 77, 015208.
Gillfoyle, G.P., & Nasseripour, R. (2007) Search for Medium Modifications of the rho meson. Physical Review Letters, 99, 262302.
Gillfoyle, G.P., & Mibe, T. (2007) Coherent Phi Meson Photoproduction from the Deuteron at Low Energies. Physical Review C, 76, 052202.
Gillfoyle, G.P., & Dugger, M. (2007) rho0 photoproduction on the proton for photon energies from 0.675 to 2.875 GeV. Physical Review C, 76, 025211.
Gillfoyle, G.P., & Guo, L. (2007) Cascade Production in the Reaction gp →K+K+X and gp→K+K+p+X. Physical Review C, 76, 025208.
Gillfoyle, G.P., Denizli, H., Dytman, S., & Mueller, J. (2007) Q2 Dependence of the S11(1535) Photocoupling and Evidence for a P-wave resonance in eta electroproduction. Physical Review C 76, 015204.
Awards:
University of Richmond Distinguished Educator Award (2003)
Defense Policy Fellow, American Association for the Advancement of Science (1999-2000)