Jefferson Lab photo by Aileen Devlin
Particle theorist wins Jefferson Lab regional research SLAM
NEWPORT NEWS, VA – At the U.S. Department of Energy's Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility, every researcher has a story. That story is part of the path that leads scientists to being part of a team focused on exploring the most basic building blocks of matter and the forces that bind them.
For Pia Jones Petrak, a Jefferson Lab postdoctoral fellow in theoretical physics, the path to the lab was guided by curiosity and a focus on making science engaging and inspiring to future generations.
Her love for frogs, newts and snails created a natural interest in biology and a love for science early on. A high school physics teacher piqued that interest and redirected it to physics.
"Before, I didn't take much notice of physics. He put it on the map for me and encouraged me to pursue it further," said Jones Petrak. “I found that physics answers more fundamental questions for me than biology and I just really like math.”
That class gave her the unique opportunity to perform a fine-beam tube experiment with electrons in a gas-filled tube forced into a circular orbit through a magnetic field. As the electrons collide with the gas atoms in the tube, light is emitted, making the electrons visible in the shape of a purple glowing circle. Seeing these normally invisible particles in real time fascinated Jones Petrak and quickly deepened her interest in fundamental physics.
This encouragement led her to pursue advanced studies in science, completing her Ph.D. at Muenster University in Germany in theoretical particle physics. More specifically, she focused her studies on Lattice Quantum Chromodynamics, a high-performance computing method for studying the theory of the strong force. This force dictates some interactions of subatomic particles, such as the protons and neutrons inside the atom’s nucleus.
After completing her Ph.D., Jones Petrak accepted a postdoctoral position at Jefferson Lab in the fall of 2024, where she expanded her research to include exotic particles, or those that may have unusual properties.
This expansion further aligned her research with experiments at the lab, such as GlueX. GlueX is a particle physics experiment with the primary goal of searching for and studying exotic hybrid mesons.
Having just relocated to a new country, Jones Petrak signed up for Quark Tank, seeing it as a great opportunity to take part in science outreach and meet some of her peers.
With only three minutes to do so, she explained that the strong force – one of the four fundamental forces in the universe – can not only form well-known particles like protons and neutrons but also exotic ones, highlighting the importance of the GlueX experiment in the search for exotic hybrid mesons.
She also emphasized that to be able to make theoretical predictions for such exotic particles, theoretical physicists need supercomputers to simulate the theory of the strong force.
"Supercomputers help us solve very hard problems in a feasible amount of time. At this point, a little calculator will no longer do the trick and running a simulation is nothing like hitting a few buttons on a calculator,” said Jones Petrak.
Relying solely on a single slide of doodle drawings, Jones Petrak illustrated the complexities of particle physics. Her simple but effective science communication captivated her audience and earned her the title of Quark Tank Champion.
As she prepares for the upcoming DOE National Research SLAM, Jones Petrak is looking forward to the opportunity to share the significance of her work and the importance of a two-way exchange between theory and experiment.
“Quark Tank is an excellent opportunity for early career researchers to engage in cross-discipline collaboration while learning how to publicly communicate compelling and engaging representations of complex science,” said Lisa Surles-Law, Jefferson Lab Science Education manager. “We look forward to seeing Pia share the significance of her work and the importance of a two-way exchange between theory and experiment.”
Quark Tank is an annual event hosted by Jefferson Lab and serves as the regional qualifier for the DOE National Lab Research SLAM. The short-talk competition challenges postdoctoral researchers and early career scientists to present a compelling one-slide, three-minute presentation on their research that a non-specialist can understand. The winner advances to compete in the national SLAM event on Capitol Hill in Washington D.C.
The national event is a collaboration among 17 DOE National Labs to highlight DOE research programs, educate policymakers and their staff about the key role DOE National Labs play in the nation’s innovation ecosystem and their impact on the nation. In addition, it is the largest platform for early career lab staff to present their research to a non-specialist audience.
The House Science & National Labs Caucus and the Senate National Labs Caucus are sponsoring the National Lab Research SLAM. The event has been scheduled for March 5, 2025, 4:30 p.m.-6:00 p.m. EST at the Congressional Auditorium in Washington, D.C. The event will be live streamed at nlresearchslam.org
Contact: Michelle Alvarez, Jefferson Lab Communications Office, malvarez@jlab.org