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Dr. Richard Ford

Research Scientist

Dr. Richard Ford has worked in the field of underground physics for over 25 years.  His interest is in building experiments underground to advance our knowledge of particle physics, in particular neutrino experiments and understanding the nature of the cosmic dark matter.  Dr. Ford specializes in the design and construction of the purification and fluid handling processing plants for large liquid scintillator and cryogenic detectors.  He has also worked in the development of detector calibration systems and simulations.  He is currently collaborating on the SNO+ experiment building the liquid scintillator purification plant, and on the DEAP-3600 detector investigate sources of ultralow radioactivity argon.

Richard Ford graduated from the University of Waterloo with a BSc in Physics and Mathematics in 1991, and then went on to complete his PhD in Particle Astrophysics at Queen’s University in 1998 working on the original Sudbury Neutrino Observatory (SNO).  Next he moved on to a post-doctoral fellowship at Instituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare (INFN) and Princeton University working on the construction of the Borexino solar neutrino detector at Gran Sasso.  He continued his work at Princeton and in Italy where he specialized in the assembly and commissioning of the scintillator purification plant and gas purification systems for the Borexino experiment.  Richard returned to SNO in 2003 to manage the heavy water purifications, and to collaborate on the design of the SNOLAB underground facilities.  He is currently a Research Scientist at SNOLAB and manager of the Analytical Services Group and the low background materials screening facility.

Professional engagements

  • Member of Canadian Association of Physicists (CAP)
  • Member of Institute of Particle Physics (IPP)
  • Associate of Instituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare (INFN) – Section of Milan
  • TAUP 2017 Local Organizing Committee
  • Low Radioactivity Techniques (LRT) workshop series international science advisory committee
  • Assay and Acquisition of Radiopure Materials Collaboration international advisory committee

Publications

Links

Contact details

richard.ford@snolab.ca
(705) 692-7000