Maria Żurek
Physicist
Biography
Protons and neutrons, the building blocks of visible matter, are complex systems of valence quarks and dynamically produced quark-antiquark pairs, bound together by gluons. A major goal of modern nuclear physics is to understand how the structure of nucleons and the interactions between them arise from the dynamics of quarks and gluons described by the theory of strong interaction, Quantum Chromodynamics. My academic interest focuses on exploring the nature of the strong interaction and the way it manifests itself in the properties and interactions of hadrons. Pursuing this scientific direction, I have been studying experimentally the features of nucleons - the basic constituents of visible matter - from the source of their mass to the spin properties.
My current research focuses on the proton spin structure in electron–proton and electron–nucleus interactions with the CLAS12 experiment at Jefferson Lab. I am particularly interested in semi-inclusive deep inelastic scattering (SIDIS) and exclusive processes, which provide insight into the three-dimensional partonic structure of nucleons and nuclei in momentum and position space. Since September 2025, I have served as a convener of one of the three Physics Working Groups in the collaboration, focusing on Deep Processes.
A significant aspect of my work involves the development of calorimetry for future investigations of proton structure at the Electron-Ion Collider (EIC) and beyond. I have been leading the development of the Barrel Imaging Calorimeter for the ePIC detector since 2021, currently serving as the Detector Subsystem Lead. This endeavor has been made possible through the support of Argonne LDRD and EIC R&D grants, which have enabled me to actively participate and drive forward this project. My current focus includes system testing and simulations, with the development of AI-assisted calorimeter reconstruction methods.
My research interests within EIC Physics primarily focus on nucleon structure investigations in SIDIS with hadrons and jets. However, I am equally excited about exploring other opportunities that the Electron-Ion Collider offers beyond SIDIS, ensuring an immensely diverse and dynamic field for exploration.
How did I end up where I am now?
During my PhD, I delved into probing the proton-neutron mass difference, which arises from strong interactions, by examining the up and down quark mass difference through the measurement of charge symmetry breaking observables at the WASA Experiment. Additionally, I contributed to measurements of diffractive processes, such as central exclusive meson production, aimed at testing Quantum Chromodynamics (QCD) in the confinement regime at the CDF experiment.
My first postdoctoral appointment was dedicated to developing polarimetry techniques for the search for an electric dipole moment (EDM) of the proton and deuteron at the JEDI collaboration. Subsequently, my interest in spin physics led me to join the STAR collaboration at Brookhaven National Laboratory, where I have been studying the spin structure of the proton with a focus on jets.
Employment
- Assistant Physicist, 2021 - Present
Argonne National Laboratory, USA - Postdoctoral Researcher, 2018 - 2021
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, USA - Postdoctoral Researcher, 2017 - 2018
Research Center Jülich, Germany
Education
- PhD in Experimental Physics, 2016
University of Cologne, Germany - MSc in Experimental Physics, 2013
Jagiellonian University, Poland - BSc in Physics, 2011
Jagiellonian University, Poland
Selected Collaboration Leadership and Service
- CLAS12 Deep Processes Working Group Convener, Sep 2025 - Present
- ePIC Barrel Imaging Calorimeter Detector Subsystem Lead, Apr 2023 - Present
- ePIC Conference and Talks Committee Chair, Aug 2023 - Aug 2025
- STAR Spin and Cold-QCD Physics Working Group Convener, Jan 2021 - Apr 2023