This page gives a quick overview and current news. For a complete publication list, talks, education, and downloadable CV, see the link below.
Research & Publications (Papers • Talks • Projects)Paolo Desiati is a research professor at the Wisconsin IceCube Particle Astrophysics Center (WIPAC) at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. He investigates cosmic rays—high-energy particles from space—using the IceCube Neutrino Observatory, the High Altitude Water Cherenkov (HAWC) Observatory, and the Southern Wide-field Gamma-ray Observatory (SWGO). His work spans experimental analyses, large-scale simulations, and multi-experiment data combinations that sharpen our understanding of cosmic-ray origins and transport. He also performs numerical calculations of particle trajectories in astrophysical magnetic-field models, building theoretical frameworks that can be tested directly against observations. By bridging instruments and methods, Desiati aims to disentangle the complex processes that shape the cosmic-ray sky.
Current Research Highlight
Cosmic-ray anisotropy scales with rigidity, not energy
For years, IceCube's in-ice and IceTop detectors appeared to disagree on the cosmic-ray dipole anisotropy—the same energy bin gave different results depending on which detector was used. New analyses show the discrepancy resolves when the anisotropy is expressed as a function of rigidity (a particle's momentum divided by its charge) rather than total energy, reflecting how cosmic rays are actually steered by magnetic fields. The result now holds consistently across IceCube, IceCube+HAWC, and IceTop data, with publliation of the state-of-the-art results in preparation.
News