MRI-Consortium: Development of a Neutron Detector Array by Undergraduate Research Students for Studies of Exotic Nuclei.

该奖项是根据2009年美国复苏和再投资法案（公法111-5）资助的。对奇异核（中子大量过剩的核）的研究是解决一些悬而未决的核物理问题的重中之重。其中包括测量，以探索核结构的变化，远离稳定性和反应速率推断（伽马，n）率天体物理学的应用。莫纳合作已经成功地测量了一些中子-非束缚基态和奇异核的激发态，但这种实验仅限于与共振态相关的衰变能量相对较低的情况。通过这个项目，剩余的未束缚核以及轻丰中子核（Z9）中许多未知的更高的未束缚态将是可及的。莫纳合作将扩大其过去的成功，并在新设备的敲除反应后测量单中子和双中子符合实验。该小组还将能够通过库仑离解测量来研究这些原子核的结构问题。大面积多机构闪烁体阵列（丽莎）将由128个塑料闪烁体棒（2 m × 10 cm × 10 cm）组成。丽莎将通过飞行时间来确定中子能量，而沿棒的相互作用点沿着将基于两端光电倍增管之间的时间差。当与现有的模块化中子阵列（莫纳）和扫描仪仪器相结合时，拟议的阵列将有助于在国家超导回旋加速器实验室使用稀有同位素束进行令人兴奋和重要的物理测量。此外，由于这项合作提案完全基于私立本科院校（PUI），因此赠款将产生广泛的影响。本科研究人员和代表性不足的群体将受益于阵列的实际建设，测试和调试，以及参与未来的前沿研究。最后，这项工作将对未来的稀有同位素束设施（FRIB）产生长期影响，因为拟议的探测器将是那里的第一天设备，参与拟议项目的大学生可以成为FRIB的劳动力的一部分，未来的本科生将有机会使用这一新设施。物理系和教育和人力资源局参与了这一项目的资助。奖

This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5).Studies of exotic nuclei (those with a large excess of neutrons) are a top priority to address a number of outstanding nuclear physics questions. These include measurements to explore changes of the nuclear structure in nuclei far from stability and reaction rates to infer (gamma,n) rates for astrophysical applications. The MoNA Collaboration has been successful at measuring a number of neutron- unbound ground states and excited states of exotic nuclei, but such experiments have been restricted to cases where the decay energy associated with a resonant state was relatively low. With this project the remaining unbound nuclei as well as many unknown higher-lying unbound states in light neutron-rich nuclei (Z9) will be accessible. The MoNA Collaboration will expand on its past success and measure one- and two-neutron coincidence experiments following knock-out reactions with the new device. The group will also be able to pursue structure questions in those same nuclei via Coulomb dissociation measurements. The Large-area multi-Institutional Scintillator Array (LISA) will consist of 128 plastic scintillator bars (2 m by 10 cm by 10 cm). LISA will determine neutron energy through time-of-flight and the interaction point along the bar will be based on the time difference between the photomultiplier tubes at each end. When combined with the existing Modular Neutron Array (MoNA) and Sweeper instruments, the proposed array will facilitate exciting and important physics measurements with rare isotope beams at the National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory. In addition, since this collaborative proposal is entirely based at Primarily Undergraduate Institutions (PUIs), the grant will have a broad impact. Undergraduate researchers and under-represented groups will benefit from the actual construction, testing and commissioning of the array, as well as participation in future cutting-edge research. Finally, this work will have a long-term impact for the future Facility for Rare Isotope Beams (FRIB) since the proposed detector would be a Day One device there, the undergraduates involved in the proposed project can be part of the workforce at FRIB, and future undergraduates will have access to this new facility.The Division of Physics and the Directorate for Education and Human Resources have participated in the funding of this award.