An RUI Proposal to Investigate the Neutron Drip Line Using the Modular Neutron Array

中密歇根大学是一个由10个机构组成的合作项目的创始成员，该项目耗资100万美元，为国家超导回旋加速器实验室建造了高效中子探测器。模中子阵列（MoNA）是研究非稳定核的重要仪器。这项合作的一个独特之处在于，许多合作成员主要来自本科院校，而本科生的参与是该项目的基本目标。中密歇根大学的本科生在该项目的建设和运营中发挥了不可或缺的作用；他们建造了探测器，连接了电子设备，编写了代码，进行了测试，并进行了在线和离线数据分析。MoNA的合作在让本科生参与一线研究方面非常成功。该提案将允许PI和他在中密歇根大学的本科生继续参与实验项目。此外，该提案提出了一种模式，不仅可以维持基于本科系学生和教师的积极合作势头，还可以使合作更积极地让本科生参与所有的实验运行和数据分析。如果这些措施取得成功，它们将为本科生在用户设施中参与尖端实验物理提供一个原型。

Central Michigan University is a charter member of a collaboration of 10institutions that worked together to construct a million dollar, highefficiency neutron detector for use at the National SuperconductingCyclotron Laboratory. The Modular Neutron Array (MoNA) is a criticalinstrument in the study of nuclei far from stability. One of the uniqueaspects of the collaboration is that many of the members of thecollaboration are from primarily undergraduate institutions and theinvolvement of undergraduate students is fundamental goal of the project. In the MoNA collaboration undergraduate students from Central MichiganUniversity have play integral roles in the construction and operation ofMoNA; they have built detector bars, wired electronics, written code, satshifts, and done both on- and off-line data analysis.The MoNA collaboration has been remarkably successful at involvingundergraduate students in front-line research. This proposal will permitthe PI and his undergraduates from Central Michigan University to continueto participate in the experimental program. In addition, the proposalpresents a model for not only sustaining the momentum of an activecollaboration based on students and faculty from undergraduatedepartments, but also moves the collaboration to more actively involveundergraduates in all the experimental runs and in data analysis. If thesemeasures are successful, they will provide a prototype for involvingundergraduates in cutting-edge experimental physics at user facilities.