João
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Personal Information:

About Me:

About Me:

I'm João Pedro Canhoto Espadanal, I 'm a postdoc in experimental particle physics at LIP (Laboratório de Instrumentação e física experimental de Partículas), and in IST (Instituto Superior Técnico). I recently finish my PhD under the supervision of my advisors Mário Pimenta and Patricia Gonçalves. I'm currently working at LIP (Laboratório de Instrumentação e Física Experimental de Partículas), in Lisbon, as part of the Pierre Auger Collaboration. My work is integrated in a large particle physics collaboration, where I developed strong computational and teamwork skills. At Auger, I'm involved on both Surface Detectors and Fluorescence Detectors, using offline tools for the analysis. I generated simulations with CONEX and CORSIKA programs using the most recent hadronic models (in which I also modified CORSIKA program). I've created and modified simulation modules in the Auger framework. From the academic point of view, I have a background in particle physics and have also taught at the university (for which I won a Diploma of Excellence).
  Current results in ultra-high energy cosmic rays show that the LHC tuned hadronic models cannot described consistently at the same time the electromagnetic and muonic component of an extensive air shower. It is considered that the problem comes from the muon sector, so I changed muon characteristics such as energy production, pt and positions to find out if the effects that could explain the differences in the data. I'm also involved in the Auger data analysis for the recovery of the number of muons.
  In detail, I developed a 3D simulation for the fluorescence and direct Cherenkov emission of cosmic ray extensive air showers, using CORSIKA as a generator program. I also worked on the surface detector within the upgrade proposals (in the MARTA project). We tried to develop ways to disentangle the electromagnetic and muonic signals on the surface. I studied the effect of using the electromagnetic signal to calibrate the SD energy. I tried new analysis approaches, such as obtaining the longitudinal electromagnetic Xmax using the ground signal, or considering the average LDFs to study the composition and problems within the hadronic models.
  I also did field work for the collaboration: two FD shifts and one Roving Laser. In the FD shift, the aim was to monitor the FD data taking, including LIDAR radars and atmospheric monitoring. In the Roving Laser, a laser was used to calibrate the telescopes in different positions along the observatory.
  Apart from the data analysis and software development, I am also interested in hadronic physics (which are closely related to Auger particle physics), as well as more theoretical work like UHE cosmic rays models for the spectrum with composition, neutrino physics and connections to dark matter.
 
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Education:


 

Auger Internal Notes:


 

Publications in:

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Presentations:

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Teaching:


 

Professional Skills:

  • Programming Languages: C, C++, Shell script, HTML, PHP, CSS, XML, LaTeX, little JavaScript.
  • Software/Programs: CORSIKA, CONEX, ROOT, Mathematica, Origin , Microsoft Office.
  • Operating Systems: Linux, Windows.
  • Languages: Portuguese (mother tongue), Good knowledge of English and Spanish.

 

Schools and others:

  • 21 January to 2 February 2013: Third IDPASC School in Santiago de Compostela, Spain (approved in examination).
  • 24 to 26 June, 2012: Auger Software Tutorial, Prague.
  • 23 January to 3 February, 2012: Second IDPASC School, Udine, Italy (approved in examination)
  • 14 - 18 December 2011: IDPASC Dark Matter School, Évora, Portugal (approved in examination)
  • 24 - 28 October 2011: Statistic Course held at LIP, Lisbon (approved in examination)
  • 06 - 09 September 2011: Higgs IDPASC School in Foz do Arelho
  • 13 - 19 December 2010: First IDPASC School in Sesimbra (approved in examination)

 

Entrepreneur:

  • In 2015, I started a small business with my mother called LICOREIRA DA VILLA. It produces and sells traditional gourmet products from my birthplace, namely traditional liquors, jellies, jams, Açordas, Dry fruits, Chutneys and others, see www.licoreiradavilla.pt or in Facebook .

Volunteering:

  • In CAIS and Gastagus in 2013, I helped in the CAIS magazine project to put homeless and temporarily disfavored people selling the magazine for self-sustain and reintegration.