About
Dr. Tomasch joined the department in 1988 as a postdoctoral fellow specializing in astrophysics research, conducted by flying particle physics experiments to the edge of space aboard high-altitude balloons. During the period of 1993-2000, the Michigan particle astrophysics group played a major role in NASA's High Energy Antimatter Telescope (HEAT) experimental program. Dr. Tomasch was responsible for the development and construction of the HEAT magnet spectrometer (magnet and tracking system), which was used in conjunction with additional particle detector systems to study the spectra of antiprotons and positrons (anti-electrons) produced by particle physics interactions in the Galaxy. The HEAT magnet he developed now provides the field for the magnet spectrometer flown aboard the High Energy Light Isotope Experiment (HELIX) to measure the abundances of Beryllium isotopes, a sensitive probe of the cosmic ray galactic confinement time.
Since 2005, Dr. Tomasch has specialized in teaching introductory physics courses and in the development of new experiments for the introductory physics labs.
Dr. Tomasch won the Excellence in Education award from the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts (LSA) in 2009.
Selected Publications
Measurement of the Cosmic-Ray Antiproton Abundance Ratio between 4 and 50 GeV, A.S. Beach, et al. (HEAT Collaboration), Phys. Rev. Lett. 87, 271101 (2001).
Cosmic Ray Positrons at High Energies: A New Measurement, (S.W. Barwick, J.J. Beatty, C.R. Bower, C. Chaput, S. Coutu, G. de Nolfo, D. Ficenec, J. Knapp, D.M. Lowder, S. McKee, D. Müller, J.A. Musser, S.L. Nutter, E. Schneider, S.P. Swordy, K.K. Tang, A.D. Tomasch, and E. Torbet), Phys. Rev. Lett., 75, 390 (1995).
