Nicole Bell (scientist)

Nicole F. Bell (born 1975) is an Australian physicist who is a professor at the University of Melbourne. She is President of the Australian Institute of Physics. She was awarded the 2020 Australian Academy of Science Nancy Millis Medal for her work on dark matter and particle theory.

Nicole F. Bell
Born1975 (age 47–48)
Alma materUniversity of Melbourne
Scientific career
InstitutionsUniversity of Melbourne
California Institute of Technology
Fermilab
ThesisNeutrino oscillations and the early universe (2000)

Early life and education

Bell is from Australia.[1] She earned her doctorate at the University of Melbourne. Her research considered neutrino oscillations in the early universe.[2] After earning her doctorate, Bell moved to the United States[1] and joined the Fermilab Center for Particle Astrophysics as a research fellow. Early in her career she gave a talk at the John Templeton Foundation Young Researchers Competition, presenting her work on cosmology to John Archibald Wheeler, Freeman Dyson and Lisa Randall.[3] She explained that the high density of matter in the early universe caused neutrinos to collide with other particles, causing them to decohere. This can cause the inhibition of neutrino oscillations.[3] After three years at Fermilab, Bell was awarded a Sherman Fairchild Prize Fellowship at the California Institute of Technology.[4]

Research and career

Bell returned to the University of Melbourne in 2007.[5] In 2011, she was made a Chief Investigator of the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Particle Physics at the Terascale, and in 2020, the Theory Program leader of the Centre of Excellence for Dark Matter Particle Physics.[4]

Bell is a theoretical astroparticle physicist who works on dark matter, neutrino physics, and other topics in particle and astroparticle theory[6] In particular, Bell has explored the relationship between dark matter and matter-antimatter asymmetries.[7][8] She used cosmology to better understand the properties of neutrinos, and looked to explain whether dark matter can be used to understand galactic gamma rays.[7] In 2021 Bell was elected Vice President of the Australian Institute of Physics.[5] Bell became President of the Australian Institute of Physics in 2023.[9]

Awards and honours

Selected publications
  • John F. Beacom; Nicole F. Bell; Dan Hooper; Sandip Pakvasa; Thomas J. Weiler (9 May 2003). "Decay of high-energy astrophysical neutrinos". Physical Review Letters. 90 (18): 181301. arXiv:hep-ph/0211305. doi:10.1103/PHYSREVLETT.90.181301. ISSN 0031-9007. PMID 12785996. Wikidata Q73477332.
  • John F. Beacom; Nicole F. Bell; Gianfranco Bertone (5 May 2005). "Gamma-ray Constraint on galactic positron production by MeV dark matter". Physical Review Letters. 94 (17): 171301. arXiv:astro-ph/0409403. Bibcode:2005PhRvL..94q1301B. doi:10.1103/PHYSREVLETT.94.171301. ISSN 0031-9007. PMID 15904276. Wikidata Q27451962.
  • J., Beacom, John F. Bell, Nicole F. Hooper, Dan Pakvasa, Sandip Weiler, Thomas (1 July 2003). Measuring Flavor Ratios of High-Energy Astrophysical Neutrinos. OCLC 691253083.

Personal life

Bell has three children.[1]

References
  1. "Nicole Bell". ARC Centre of Excellence for Dark Matter Particle Physics (Copy). Retrieved 24 April 2022.
  2. Bell, Nicole F (2000). Neutrino oscillations and the early universe (Thesis). OCLC 222921402.
  3. "FermiNews - April 19 2002". www.fnal.gov. Retrieved 24 April 2022.
  4. "CV | Nicole Bell". Retrieved 24 April 2022.
  5. "New hands at the helm, galactic evolution, Science Meets Parliament, and old computers the size of wardrobes | Australian Institute of Physics". Retrieved 24 April 2022.
  6. "Nicole Bell". STEM Women. Retrieved 24 April 2022.
  7. "2020 awardees | Australian Academy of Science". www.science.org.au. Retrieved 24 April 2022.
  8. Bell, Nicole; Melbourne, University of. "Using neutron stars to detect dark matter". phys.org. Retrieved 24 April 2022.
  9. Durrani, Matin (17 March 2023). "Ask me anything: Nicole Bell – 'Collaboration is the norm: we achieve more when we work together'". Physics World. Retrieved 6 April 2023.
  10. "ARC Future Fellows announced | CoEPP". www.coepp.org.au. Retrieved 24 April 2022.
  11. "A/Prof Nicole Bell named Fellow of the American Physical society | CoEPP". www.coepp.org.au. Retrieved 24 April 2022.
  12. "March 3rd 2020 : Award for Nicole Bell". ARC Centre of Excellence for Dark Matter Particle Physics (Copy). Retrieved 24 April 2022.
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