Michael K. Moe Explained

Michael K. Moe (born 17 November 1937 in Milwaukee)^[1] is an American experimental physicist, specializing in particle physics and nuclear physics. He is known his role in 1987 in the direct detection of two neutrino double beta decay in ⁸²Se.^{[2] [3]} (Indirect detection of two neutrino double beta decay had been done in the 1960s.)

Education and career

Moe received in 1959 his bachelor's degree from Stanford University and in 1965 his Ph.D. under Frederick Reines from Case Western Reserve University.

Moe became at the University of California, Irvine in 1966 an assistant research physicist, in 1968 an assistant professor, in 1973 a research physicist, and retiring in 1997.

He was also involved in the search for the extremely rare (and perhaps nonexistent) neutrino-less double beta decay, for which he published a proposal in 1991;^[4] in the 2000s he participated in the search for such decay pursued by SLAC's Enriched Xenon Observatory (EXO).

In 2013 Moe received the Tom W. Bonner Prize in Nuclear Physics.

References

1. biographical information from American Men and Women of Science, Thomson Gale 2004
2. Elliott, S. R.. Hahn, A. A.. Moe, M. K.. Direct evidence for two-neutrino double-beta decay in ⁸²Se. Phys. Rev. Lett.. 59. 1987. 18. 2220–2223. 10.1103/PhysRevLett.59.2020. 1987PhRvL..59.2020E. 10035397.
3. News: Browne, Malcolm W.. Malcolm Browne. Predicted Decay of Element Seen. 4 September 1987. NY Times.
4. Moe, M. K.. New approach to the detection of neutrinoless double beta decay. Phys. Rev. C. 44. 1991. 3. R931–R934. 1991PhRvC..44..931M . 10.1103/PhysRevC.44.R931 . 9967528.