Gertrude Scharff-Goldhaber Prize 2024 recipient is University of California Los Angeles graduate student Zhiwan Xu.
Zhiwan Xu is a young scientist with a deep passion for studying the properties of quantum chromodynamics (QCD) through high-energy nuclear collisions. Xu earned a bachelor degree in physics at Fudan University in 2018 and then pursued the graduate studies at the University of California, Los Angeles, focusing on the cutting-edge search for the novel QCD phenomenon.
In 2019, Xu joined the STAR collaboration at RHIC, an experiment focused on the quark-gluon plasma as a new QCD state that once existed in the early universe. The heavy-ion collisions at RHIC create powerful magnetic fields, providing a unique opportunity to study the Chiral Magnetic Effect (CME). Her enthusiasm in searching for this local strong Parity and Charge-Parity violation drove her to participate in the blind analysis of isobar collision, a DOE major program. Despite the isobar findings showing no predefined signal, her perseverance kept her dedicated to the field.
Under the guidance of Prof. Huan Huang, Xu developed an innovative method to minimize the CME background. She then led the CME research at the RHIC Beam Energy Scan (BES) Phase II Program. By suppressing all known backgrounds, the findings of charge separations at several BES-II energies marked a significant achievement in the scientific community. Xu presented these findings at Quark Matter 2023.
Her aspiration is to drive major advancements in nuclear physics, and to carry the torch for the next generation of scientists to foster an inclusive and supportive scientific community.
Xu recently received her Ph.D. from the University of California, Los Angeles, and will continue her academic career at Los Alamos National Laboratory. Outside the lab, Xu is an ardent painter who loves spending time in nature.