Brief Vita

• PhD in Physics, December 2007, University of Virginia
• M.A. in Physics, January 2004, University of Virginia
• B.S. in Physics and Computer Science, May 2000, Georgetown University
• Professor, the University of Tennessee, 2023-present
• Associate Professor, the University of Tennessee, 2019-2023
• Assistant Professor, the University of Tennessee, 2013-2019
• Postdoctoral Research Associate, Los Alamos National Laboratory, January 2011-August 2013
• Postdoctoral Research Associate, University of Tennessee, December 2007-January 2011
• UT Graduate Physics Society Research Advisor of the Year (2023)
• UT Society of Physics Students Research Advisor of the Year (2022)

Research Areas

Fundamental Symmetries Studies with Neutrons

This group performs experiments with cold neutrons at the Spallation Neutron Source (SNS) at ORNL as well as the NIST Center for Neutron Research.

The upcoming ORNL efforts include the Nab and nEDM experiments. The Nab experiment detects protons and electrons from neutron beta decay to study the ‘a’ and ‘b’ correlation parameters and look for new physics beyond the standard model. The nEDM experiments aim to measure the electric dipole moment of the free neutron, whose value will help address the matter/anti-matter asymmetry in the universe.

This group played a leading role in the NPDGamma experiment, which studied the weak force via parity-violation at the Spallation Neutron Source, with results published in 2018. This was followed up with a complementary parity violation experiment to study polarized neutron capture on 3He (as published here). The neutron physics group also plays an important part in the neutron lifetime experiment (BL2) running at the NCNR (see Progress on the BL2 beam measurement of the neutron lifetime). The data taking is going to wrap up in 2022, but we’re leading the effort to construct and run a next-generation neutron lifetime apparatus.

Studies of the Highest Energy Nucleons and Quarks in Nuclei

Our group collaborates with scientists across the US to work on experiments at Jefferson Lab with a 12 GeV electron beam. Dr. Fomin is the PI on two upcoming experiments at Jefferson Lab to study short-range nuclear behavior that gives rise to high-momentum nucleons as well as search for the impetus of the EMC effect (modifications of quark distributions by the nuclear environment). Funding for a graduate student is available on either of these projects.

Teaching

Dr. Fomin has taught the following courses:

• Astronomy 151: Introductory Astronomy
• Physics 221: Elements of Physics
• Physics 231: Introduction to Electricity and Magnetism
• Physics 250: Modern Physics
• Physics 451: A Survey of Contemporary Physics
• Physics 531: Classical Mechanics

Selected Publications

• Ruling out Color Transparency in Quasielastic ¹²C(e,e′p) up to Q² of 14.2  (GeV/c)² Bhetuwal, D. et al. (for the Hall C Collaboration), Phys. Rev. Lett., Volume 126, Article 082301. Published: 23 FEB 2021
• Probing the Deuteron at Very Large Internal Momenta Yero, C. et al. (Hall C Collaboration), Phys. Rev. Lett., Volume 125, Article 262501, Published: 29 DEC 2020
• Novel observation of isospin structure of short-range correlations in calcium isotopes,Nguyen D. et al. (Jefferson Lab Hall A Collaboration), Phys. Rev. C Volume 102, Article 064004, Published: 14 DEC 2020
• First Precision Measurement of the Parity Violating Asymmetry in Cold Neutron Capture on ³He, Gericke, M.T. et al. (n³He Collaboration) Phys. Rev. Lett., Volume 125, Article 131803, Published: 23 SEPT 2020
• A New Cryogenic Apparatus to Search for the Neutron Electric Dipole Moment By: Ahmed, M.W. et al. Journal of Instrumentation, Volume 14, Article 11017, Published: NOV 2019
• Searching for flavor dependence in nuclear quark behavior, J. Arrington and N. Fomin Phys. Rev. Lett. Volume 123, Article 042501. Published 22 JULY 2019
• Detection system for neutron beta decay correlations in the UCNB and Nab experiments By: Broussard, L. J.; Zeck, B. A.; Adamek, E. R.; et al. Nuclear Instruments & Methods in Physics Research Section A-Accelerators Spectrometers Detectors and Associated Equipment, Volume: 849, Pages: 83-93, Published: MAR 21 2017
• New Results on Short-Range Correlations in Nuclei By: Fomin, Nadia; Higinbotham, Douglas; Sargsian, Misak; et al. Edited by: Holstein, BR. Book Series: Annual Review of Nuclear and Particle Science, Volume: 67, Pages: 129-159, Published: 2017
• Electroexcitation of the Delta(+)(1232) at low momentum transfer By: Blomberg, A.; Anez, D.; Sparveris, N.; et al. Physics Letters B Volume: 760 Pages: 267-272 Published: SEP 10 2016
• Fundamental neutron physics beamline at the spallation neutron source at ORNL By: Fomin, N.; Greene, G. L.; Allen, R. R.; et al. Nuclear Instruments & Methods in Physics Research Section A-Accelerators Spectrometers Detectors and Associated Equipment, Volume: 788, Pages: 203-203, Published: JUL 11 2015
• Measurement of the scattering cross section of slow neutrons on liquid parahydrogen from neutron transmission By: Grammer, K. B.; Alarcon, R.; Barron-Palos, L.; et al. Physical Review B, Volume: 91, Issue: 18, Article Number: 180301, Published: MAY 8 2015
• Fundamental neutron physics beamline at the spallation neutron source at ORNL By: Fomin, N.; Greene, G. L.; Allen, R. R.; et al. Nuclear Instruments & Methods in Physics Research Section A-Accelerators Spectrometers Detectors and Associated Equipment, Volume: 773, Pages: 45-51, Published: FEB 11 2015
• Detailed study of the nuclear dependence of the EMC effect and short-range correlations By: Arrington, J.; Daniel, A.; Day, D. B.; et al. Physical Review C, Volume: 86, Issue: 6, Article Number: 065204, Published: DEC 13 2012
• New Measurements of High-Momentum Nucleons and Short-Range Structures in Nuclei By: Fomin, N.; Arrington, J.; Asaturyan, R.; et al. Physical Review Letters, Volume: 108, Issue: 9, Article Number: 092502, Published: FEB 29 2012
• Nuclear transparency and effective kaon-nucleon cross section from the A(e, e ‘ K+) reaction By: Nuruzzaman; Dutta, D.; Arrington, J.; et al. Physical Review C, Volume: 84, Issue: 1, Article Number: 015210, Published: JUL 20 2011
• Measurement of parity-violating gamma-ray asymmetry in the capture of polarized cold neutrons on protons By: Gericke, M. T.; Alarcon, R.; Balascuta, S.; et al. Group Author(s): NPDGamma Collaboration Physical Review C, Volume: 83, Issue: 1, Article Number: 015505, Published: JAN 31 2011
• Scaling of the F-2 Structure Function in Nuclei and Quark Distributions at x > 1 By: Fomin, N.; Arrington, J.; Day, D. B.; et al. Physical Review Letters, Volume: 105, Issue: 21, Article Number: 212502, Published: NOV 17 2010
• Measurement of parity-violating neutron capture gamma asymmetries at low-energies By: Barron-Palos, L.; Alarcon, R.; Alonzi, L. P.; et al. Conference: 32nd Symposium on Nuclear Physics Location: Cocoyoc, MEXICO Date: JAN 05-08, 2009 Revista Mexicana de Fisica, Volume: 55, Issue: 2, Supplement: S, Pages: 18-22, Published: DEC 2009
• New Measurements of the European Muon Collaboration Effect in Very Light Nuclei By: Seely, J.; Daniel, A.; Gaskell, D.; et al. Physical Review Letters, Volume: 103, Issue: 20, Article Number: 202301, Published: NOV 13 2009
• Search for sub-threshold photoproduction of J/psi mesons By: Bosted, P.; Dunne, J.; Lee, C. A.; et al. Physical Review C, Volume: 79, Issue: 1, Article Number: 015209, Published: JAN 2009
• Scaling study of the pion electroproduction cross sections By: Horn, T.; Qian, X.; Arrington, J.; et al. Physical Review C, Volume: 78, Issue: 5, Article Number: 058201, Published: NOV 2008
• Measurement of nuclear transparency for the A(e,e ‘pi(+)) reaction By: Clasie, B.; Qian, X.; Arrington, J.; et al. Physical Review Letters, Volume: 99, Issue: 24, Article Number: 242502, Published: DEC 14 2007